New Delhi witnessed a flurry of high-level diplomacy on Wednesday as Prime Minister Narendra Modi engaged in back-to-back bilateral meetings. Among them, a significant discussion unfolded with Bhutan’s Prime Minister Dasho Tshering, focusing on deepening ties in artificial intelligence (AI) and digital technologies.
The leaders reviewed progress in key areas like energy, connectivity, development partnerships, and people-to-people connections. They emphasized the importance of inclusive, people-centric AI applications that benefit all sections of society. Both sides agreed to accelerate cooperation in the AI and digital tech domains, building on the foundation of trust, harmony, and mutual respect that defines India-Bhutan relations.
Bhutan’s PM affectionately referred to PM Modi as his ‘big brother’ and congratulated him for hosting the Global South’s first AI Summit in India. In a social media post, Tshering extended greetings on behalf of Bhutan’s King, government, and people, highlighting the summit’s milestone status.
This meeting capped a marathon day for PM Modi, who earlier held talks with Spain’s President Pedro Sanchez at Hyderabad House on renewable energy, infrastructure, startups, and defense. Subsequent meetings included Finland’s PM Petteri Orpo, Serbia’s President Aleksandar Vucic, Croatia’s PM Andrej Plenković, Estonia’s President Alar Karis, and Kazakhstan’s PM Olzhas Bektenov, covering topics from energy and rare minerals to Central Asia cooperation.
The ongoing AI Summit, which kicked off on Monday, aims to explore AI’s role in fostering inclusive growth, robust public systems, and sustainable development. As the first major global AI-focused event hosted by the Global South, it has drawn over 100 government representatives, including more than 20 heads of state and government, and 60 ministers and deputy ministers. The summit continues until February 20, promising groundbreaking discussions on technology’s future.