India has secured a place in the Guinness World Records after nearly a quarter of a million people signed up to an artificial intelligence responsibility campaign within 24 hours, Union Minister for Electronics and Information Technology Ashwini Vaishnaw announced on Monday.
The record for the “Most pledges received for an AI responsibility campaign in 24 hours” was achieved with 250,946 valid pledges collected between 16 and 17 February.
The announcement was made at the India AI Impact Summit 2026 at Bharat Mandapam in New Delhi, where the achievement was formally verified by a Guinness World Records adjudicator.
Record set at India AI Impact Summit
The campaign was organised under the IndiaAI Mission in partnership with Intel India and invited citizens to commit to the ethical and responsible use of artificial intelligence.
Participants signed the pledge through a dedicated online portal and engaged with scenario-based questions focused on principles such as data privacy, accountability, transparency and tackling misinformation. Those who completed the process received a digital badge and access to curated AI learning pathways.
The summit, held at Bharat Mandapam, was attended by senior officials from the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology, along with industry representatives and the Guinness World Records adjudicator who confirmed the title.
Vaishnaw credits PM Modi’s vision
Addressing the media, Vaishnaw attributed the success of the initiative to the vision of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, particularly his emphasis on engaging young people in emerging technologies.
He said the government had reached out to colleges and faculty members across the country to encourage students to treat AI as a force for social good while remaining mindful of its risks. Applauding the more than 250,000 students who participated, the minister described the achievement as a proud moment for the nation.
From modest target to mass participation
Officials noted that the campaign had originally aimed to gather 5,000 pledges, a figure that was surpassed many times over within a single day. The scale of participation, Vaishnaw said, demonstrated growing public awareness about the ethical dimensions of AI adoption.
He added that the record reflected a broader citizen-led movement towards digital responsibility and underscored India’s ambition to shape global conversations on artificial intelligence with an emphasis on inclusion, ethics and public trust.
- Public awareness of ethical AI is increasing significantly.
- The campaign demonstrates successful engagement with youth on technology issues.
- India aims to lead global conversations on AI ethics and inclusion.
