The Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY), in collaboration with the Bharti Institute of Public Policy at Indian School of Business, hosted the Governance Summit 2026: Inclusive AI for Viksit Bharat at the ISB campus in Mohali on May 23.
The fourth edition of the summit began with an inaugural keynote address by S. Krishnan, who highlighted the government’s vision of building an inclusive artificial intelligence ecosystem that benefits every section of society, including those on the margins of the digital economy.
He stated that artificial intelligence presents India with a major opportunity to improve productivity, governance, and access across sectors such as healthcare, education, manufacturing, and financial inclusion. He also noted that while concerns around AI’s impact on jobs remain, India is well positioned to leverage the technology for inclusive growth.
The day-long summit featured panel discussions on AI’s role in digital commerce, online safety for women and children, healthcare accessibility and affordability, as well as job creation and digital entrepreneurship. A separate roundtable discussion focused on the implementation of AI-driven public service delivery at the grassroots level, including state governments and gram panchayats.
Ashwini Chhatre, in his opening remarks, stressed the importance of converting AI ambitions into practical governance frameworks. He described AI as a long-term national mission and highlighted inequality, economic leapfrogging, and future employment trends as key issues shaping the AI landscape. He also emphasised the need for safeguards and inclusive access to AI opportunities.
The summit brought together policymakers, industry leaders, academics, and civil society representatives to discuss how AI can strengthen governance and support India’s development goals. Participants included representatives from Reliance Retail, Mastercard, Apollo Hospitals, IIT Madras, UNICEF India, the Punjab Police, and several central and state government departments.