India's IT Ministry hosts AI summit on governance reform
What's the story
The Ministry of Electronics and IT (MeitY) and the Indian School of Business (ISB) have jointly hosted the Governance Summit 2026. The summit, themed "Inclusive AI for Viksit Bharat," focused on leveraging artificial intelligence (AI) to drive inclusive growth, governance reforms, and last-mile public service delivery. Senior government officials, industry leaders, academics, and civil society organizations participated in the event to explore AI's potential across sectors like healthcare, education, digital commerce, entrepreneurship, and public safety.
Panel discussions
Summit featured discussions on various AI applications
The summit, organized by ISB's Bharti Institute of Public Policy, featured panel discussions on the role of AI in digital commerce, online safety for women and children, healthcare access and affordability, job creation, and digital entrepreneurship. A parallel roundtable discussion focused on operationalizing AI for last-mile public service delivery at state governments' and gram panchayats' levels.
Keynote address
MeitY Secretary highlights government's commitment to inclusive AI ecosystem
Delivering the inaugural keynote address, MeitY Secretary S Krishnan emphasized the government's commitment to building an AI ecosystem that benefits all sections of society. He said, "Artificial intelligence presents India with a transformative opportunity to enhance productivity, improve governance, and expand access across sectors such as healthcare, education, manufacturing, and financial inclusion." Krishnan also acknowledged concerns over AI's impact on cognitive jobs but stressed India's readiness to use this technology for inclusive growth.
AI as mission
ISB executive director calls for safeguards in AI adoption
ISB's Bharti Institute of Public Policy Executive Director Ashwini Chhatre, in his opening remarks, stressed that AI should be viewed as a long-term national mission. "AI must be viewed as a long-term national mission shaping the future of the next generation," he said. Chhatre identified inequality, leapfrogging opportunities, and job futures as key aspects of the emerging AI landscape while advocating for safeguards, social security mechanisms, and affirmative action to ensure equitable access to these opportunities.