‘AI will remain incomplete without India’: PM Narendra Modi on Lex Fridman podcast

In a podcast with MIT scientist and American podcaster Lex Fridman, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said that artificial intelligence (AI) development around the world will remain incomplete without India's contribution.

“I speak openly from my heart. No matter what the world does with AI, it will remain incomplete without India. I'm making this statement very responsibly,” said PM Modi which was released on Sunday, March 16. 

PM Modi on AI

Modi shared his take on the need for collaboration to develop artificial intelligence (AI) on a global scale.

“I believe AI development is fundamentally a collaboration. Everyone involved supports one another through shared experiences and learning,” Modi told Fridman.

Modi also focused on India's AI stance and said that India is not just developing theoretical AI models but is now working on bringing to life AI-driven applications for specific use cases of the people.

“We have already created a unique marketplace-based model to ensure its broad accessibility. A significant mindset shift is taking place in India, though historical influences, traditional government procedures or the lack of strong support infrastructure made us appear as lagging behind others,” said Modi.

India's talent behind AI development

PM Modi also highlighted that India is gifted with the key resource for developing artificial intelligence — “India's youth and talent pool”.

“Without genuine human intelligence, AI can't thrive or progress sustainably, and that real intelligence exists abundantly in India's youth and talent pool. And I believe that's our greatest asset,” Modi stated.

PM Modi also focused on the debate between technology and humanity and highlighted how it is sometimes portrayed in a very conflicting nature. He also emphasised that it's always the humans who find the “best way” to use technology to their advantage.

“I firmly believe that no technology can ever replace the boundless creativity and imagination of the human mind,” said PM Modi in the podcast released on Sunday, March 16.

What is the Lex Fridman Podcast?

Lex Fridman is the well-known host of the Lex Fridman Podcast since 2018. In this podcast, Fridman interviews top executives and key industry personnel, as well as Presidents and Prime Ministers of various countries, to discuss topics related to technology, science, politics, etc.

Before featuring Indian PM Narendra Modi, the podcast featured top global leaders and key personnel like Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, Vivek Ramaswamy, US President-elect Donald Trump, Amazon's Jeff Bezos, and Billionaire Elon Musk.

Prime Minister Modi's appearance in the Lex Fridman Podcast was his second-ever social media appearance after making a debut on Zerodha co-founder Nikhil Kamath's podcast on January 10, 2025.