IFF’s Approach to the India AI Impact Summit 2026: Engage Critically, Stay Realistic
The Internet Freedom Foundation (IFF) welcomes the India AI Impact Summit 2026 (February 16-20) as an important platform for global dialogue on Artificial Intelligence. However, the Summit’s agenda and framing fundamentally misalign with the lived reality of AI deployment in India, which is marked by rising digital authoritarianism and the systematic erosion of constitutional protections, causing demonstrable harm to vulnerable populations.
The official framing of the Summit centers on “People, Planet and Progress”, with high-profile attendees including Prime Minister Narendra Modi, France’s President Emmanuel Macron, and top tech CEOs such as Google’s Sundar Pichai and OpenAI’s Sam Altman. However, the optimistic narrative about AI for development obscures the harsh realities of its impact on everyday lives.
The Contraction of Civic Space
Currently, there is a sharp contraction in civic space, where recent governance proposals on technology have facilitated the expansion of state power, running contrary to commitments on fundamental rights and social justice. Few organizations in India focus on digital rights, and those that survive are severely under-resourced, facing burdensome compliance measures, growing legal risks, and deliberate exclusion from policymaking processes.
Accountability and Digitization
In recent years, India’s digitization drive has often been used to sidestep constitutional safeguards of transparency, harming communities and individuals. For instance, recent legal changes have weakened the Right to Information (RTI) framework, curtailing citizens’ ability to question power. The Digital Personal Data Protection (DPDP) Act of 2023 introduced amendments that block access to information labeled as “personal information,” allowing officials to deny critical information.
Furthermore, the digitization of welfare governance has been weaponized to bypass accountability. A notable development was the hurried passage of the Viksit Bharat – Guarantee for Rozgar and Ajeevika Mission (Gramin) Act, 2025 (VB-GRAM G), which converted the legally guaranteed right to work under the MGNREGA program into a discretionary, bureaucratically controlled scheme, undermining decades of workers’ rights.
De-regulation and AI Policies
India’s policies on AI reflect a broader embrace of de-regulation narratives aimed at ensuring “innovation.” For example, the Union Budget 2026 announced a 20-year tax holiday for foreign firms utilizing Indian data centers, designed to attract global AI infrastructure, yet formulated with scant regard for its impact on local communities and natural resources.
Recent Government Initiatives
Several recent measures warrant attention:
- Sanchar Saathi: In late 2025, the government mandated smartphone manufacturers to pre-install a government cybersecurity application, which sparked outrage over privacy and surveillance concerns.
- The ‘Sahyog’ Censorship Portal: Launched quietly in 2024, this portal allows law enforcement to expedite content-blocking orders on social media, raising alarms over potential censorship.
- Expansion of NATGRID: The National Intelligence Grid (NATGRID) has expanded its scope beyond counter-terror investigations to a broad surveillance apparatus with increased access for police officers.
These developments are occurring alongside the increasing use of AI technologies in policing and welfare, often without clear legal frameworks or safeguards.
Engagement with the Summit
While the India AI Impact Summit 2026 provides a platform for dialogue and visibility for civil society voices on an international stage, the IFF has decided not to allocate significant resources for direct participation. This decision is not a boycott but a prioritization of pressing advocacy initiatives that align closely with their mission, such as legal challenges to unconstitutional regulations and campaigns for enhancing free expression, privacy, and transparency frameworks.
The IFF will engage with the Summit critically, tracking proceedings and outcomes, and offering analyses rooted in constitutional values. They aim to center the lived experiences of Indians and prioritize fundamental rights in their interactions.
In conclusion, the IFF stands in solidarity with broader civil society coalitions advocating for accountable and just AI governance, emphasizing the need for vigilance and advocacy in an environment increasingly dominated by digital authoritarianism.
