Tharoor breaks ranks, backs India’s AI summit as PM Modi charts global push

Congress leader Shashi Tharoor defended the Bharat AI Impact Summit despite criticism from Rahul Gandhi and Mallikarjun Kharge. Narendra Modi highlighted equitable AI access, global consensus-building, and regulatory safeguards during the high-level international gathering

New Delhi/Thiruvananthapuram: CWC member Shashi Tharoor has broken ranks with his party to defend the ongoing Bharat AI Impact Summit, calling minor lapses “small errors” and praising the event as a global success.

Speaking ahead of his address at the venue on Friday, senior Congress MP Shashi Tharoor said, “Such incidents can occur at large programmes. There is no need to magnify them. The summit is noteworthy because of the scale of public participation.”

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The summit, underway in the national Capital, has faced criticism from Leader of the Opposition (LoP) in the Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi and Congress chief Mallikarjun Kharge, who questioned organisational shortcomings and flagged controversies such as the display of a Chinese-made robot under the ‘Make in India’ banner. Tharoor, however, emphasised India’s leadership role in shaping global AI discussions and urged a focus on the summit’s larger diplomatic and technological significance. Prime Minister Narendra Modi used the platform to highlight equitable access to AI for the Global South.

He advocated an approach of “opening the skies for AI while retaining regulatory control,” stressing that the technology must be shared widely rather than concentrated in the hands of a few corporations or countries. PM Modi called for legal safeguards for women and children, national ownership of data, and mandatory disclosure for AI-generated content. A plenary session, reflecting India’s proposals, brought together leaders from 119 countries, including 20 heads of state and 45 ministers. French President Emmanuel Macron lauded India’s efforts to bring 1.4 billion citizens into the digital network. Compared to the last summit in France, which exposed deep divisions over AI regulation, India successfully steered discussions toward consensus and produced a cohesive vision document.

Tharoor’s intervention highlights a rare moment of divergence from the party line, with Congress leaders voicing criticism while he emphasises the summit’s achievements. His remarks, coupled with the scale of international participation and India’s strategic digital vision, position him at the centre of attention as the country showcases its leadership in AI on the global stage.