PTI
New Delhi
In a significant show of global consensus on artificial intelligence, 88 countries and international organisations have adopted the New Delhi Declaration on AI Impact, committing to ensure that benefits of AI are “equitably shared across humanity”.
The Declaration, adopted at the conclusion of the AI Impact Summit 2026, lays out a shared vision for collaborative, trusted, resilient and efficient AI systems, with India leading the call for “AI for All” rooted in equity, access and global cooperation.
Guided by the principle of ‘Sarvajan Hitaya, Sarvajan Sukhaya’ (welfare for all, happiness for all), the document underscores that AI’s promise can be realised only when its benefits are shared across humanity. It calls for strengthened international cooperation, multi-stakeholder engagement and respect for national sovereignty while advancing accessible and trustworthy AI frameworks.
“Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s human-centric AI vision been accepted by the world. Democratising Artificial Intelligence resources so AI facilities, services and technology can reach everyone in society, that has been accepted by all,” IT Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw told
reporters.
Structured around seven pillars — termed ‘Chakras’ — the Declaration outlines action areas, including democratising AI resources, economic growth and social good, secure and trusted AI, AI for science, access for social empowerment, human capital development, and resilient, efficient and innovative AI systems.
“The AI Impact Summit 2026… Concluded with the adoption of the New Delhi Declaration on AI Impact, marking a significant milestone in global cooperation on artificial intelligence. The declaration has been endorsed by 88 countries and international organisations, reflecting a broad-based global consensus on leveraging AI for economic growth and social good,” an official release said.
The list of endorsing countries includes the US, China, the UK, Russia, France, Australia, Belgium, Bhutan, Brazil, Canada, Denmark, Estonia, Ethiopia, Japan, Italy, Israel, and Ireland.
Indonesia, Iran, Hungary, Greece, Germany, Finland, Mexico, Myanmar, Nepal, the Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Oman, The Philippines, Peru, Romania, Rwanda, Senegal, Singapore, South Korea, Spain, Sri Lanka, Sweden, Switzerland, Tanzania, the UAE, Ukraine, the EU, and IFAD are also on the list.
In all, about 118 countries participated in the India AI Impact Summit, which was held in New Delhi.
Among key outcomes is the Charter for the Democratic Diffusion of AI, a voluntary framework aimed at expanding affordable access to foundational AI resources and strengthening local innovation ecosystems.
The Global AI Impact Commons is positioned as a platform to scale and replicate successful AI use cases across countries.
To advance trust and safety, the declaration highlights Trusted AI Commons — a collaborative repository of technical tools, benchmarks and best practices — as well as development of secure and trustworthy AI systems.
An International Network of AI for Science Institutions will connect scientific communities globally to bolster AI-driven research capabilities, while ‘AI for Social Empowerment platform’ aims to widen equitable access to knowledge and services.
Other deliverables are AI workforce development playbook and reskilling principles (supports AI skilling, reskilling, and literacy, and prepares nations for an AI-driven economy); and guiding principles on resilient and efficient AI (with focus on energy-efficient AI systems, and supported by a playbook on AI infrastructure resilience).
The Declaration also emphasises on energy-efficient AI systems and resilient infrastructure, recognising rising demands of AI places on power and natural resources.
Voluntary Guiding Principles on Resilient, Innovative and Efficient AI, alongside a Playbook on AI Infrastructure Resilience, were acknowledged as reference frameworks.
As per the official release, participants reaffirmed their commitment to advancing shared global priorities in AI governance; promoting voluntary, non-binding frameworks; and translating vision into action through continued collaboration.
The broad-based endorsement — cutting across advanced economies, developing nations and multilateral bodies — signals growing convergence around responsible and inclusive AI governance, with the summit positioning India as a key convenor in shaping the global AI agenda.
While earlier global gatherings, including the UK’s AI Safety Summit at Bletchley Park (2023), the Seoul Summit (2024), and the Paris meet (2025) placed significant emphasis on frontier risks, safety guardrails and voluntary commitments, India widened the lens to foreground AI’s developmental impact and real-world applications that can drive economic growth, social inclusion and sustainability. In essence, People, Planet and Progress.
