On the fourth day of the India AI Impact Summit 2026 at Bharat Mandapam, India’s technological progress took centre stage before a global audience. French President Emmanuel Macron began his address with ‘Namaste,’ drawing applause from the packed hall.
In the presence of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Macron described India’s digitalisation drive as a model for the world.
Macron said India has achieved what no other country has managed in the technology domain. He termed the India Stack Open Interoperable Sovereign model as one of the most robust digital public infrastructures globally and highlighted three major milestones.
He pointed to the creation of a secure digital identity system for 1.4 billion people through Aadhaar, the development of a payments system processing more than 20 billion transactions every month via Unified Payments Interface (UPI), and the issuance of 500 million digital health IDs for citizens.
According to Macron, these achievements demonstrate how digital systems can operate at a massive scale while remaining inclusive.
Linking his remarks to everyday life, Macron offered an example to underline the transformation. A decade ago, he said, a street vendor in Mumbai without documentation could not open a bank account.
Today, the same person can accept digital payments using a mobile phone and a QR code. He described this as a clear illustration of social and economic change enabled by technology.
The summit, inaugurated by Prime Minister Modi, has drawn leaders from around 100 countries. Among those present are Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, UN Secretary-General António Guterres, Abu Dhabi Crown Prince Khalid bin Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Sri Lankan President Anura Kumara Dissanayake, and Mauritius Prime Minister Navin Chandra Ramgoolam, along with more than 500 AI leaders worldwide.
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