New Delhi witnessed a significant diplomatic engagement on Friday as United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres attended the India AI Impact Summit 2026. The high-profile visit culminated in a key meeting with President Droupadi Murmu at Rashtrapati Bhavan, underscoring the growing synergy between global leadership and India’s technological ambitions.
Guterres commended India’s visionary leadership in hosting the summit and highlighted the longstanding collaboration between India and the UN across diverse sectors. He praised the event’s role in advancing artificial intelligence for global good.
President Murmu warmly welcomed Guterres’ initiative to establish a global scientific panel on AI, aimed at serving humanity’s broader interests. In a statement from the President’s Secretariat, she emphasized the challenges facing multilateralism amid global uncertainties, including eroding trust among nations.
She called for urgent reforms in the UN Security Council’s outdated framework to reflect contemporary geopolitical realities and amplify the voice of the Global South in decision-making. ‘Reforming the Security Council is key to preserving the UN’s relevance and impact,’ Murmu asserted.
The President noted that the ‘UN-80′ initiative provides a vital platform for these reforms, but stressed the need to safeguard the developmental priorities of the Global South in any restructuring efforts. She extended best wishes to Guterres for the remainder of his tenure and reaffirmed India’s unwavering support for multilateralism.
This meeting followed Guterres’ discussions with Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday, where the duo delved into strategies for making AI inclusive for all. They explored the UN’s potential role in fostering equitable AI development, marking a pivotal moment in international tech diplomacy.