New Delhi: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday urged Indian artificial intelligence (AI) startups to work towards global leadership, saying the world's trust in India is the country's biggest strength and must be leveraged responsibly.

Chairing a roundtable with AI startups ahead of the India AI Impact Summit 2026, Modi emphasised that Indian AI models should be ethical, unbiased, transparent and rooted in strong data privacy principles. He said India can emerge as a global champion of affordable, inclusive and frugal AI solutions.

The prime minister stressed the need for developing distinct AI models that promote indigenous content, regional languages and local innovation, reflecting the spirit of “Made in India, Made for the World”. Calling startups and AI entrepreneurs co-architects of India's future, he highlighted the country's capacity for both innovation and large-scale implementation.

Twelve Indian startups selected for the 'AI for All: Global Impact Challenge' presented their work across sectors including healthcare, multilingual AI models, generative AI and advanced analytics.

Union Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw and MoS Jitin Prasada were present at the meeting.