By 121 News
Mohali, May 23, 2026:-The Bharti Institute of Public Policy (BIPP) at the Indian School of Business (ISB), in collaboration with the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY), today hosted the Governance Summit 2026: Inclusive AI for Viksit Bharat at the Mohali campus of ISB.
The fourth edition of the summit commenced with an inaugural keynote address, delivered by S. Krishnan, IAS, Secretary, Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology, Government of India, who set out the government’s commitment to building an AI ecosystem that serves every citizen, including those at the margins of the digital economy. In his keynote, he highlighted that 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. He also raised that while concerns around the impact of AI on cognitive jobs are understandable, India is uniquely positioned to harness this technology for inclusive growth. S. Krishnan also highlighted that as India builds its AI ecosystem, it is important that it develops models reflecting cultural and linguistic diversity, while ensuring strategic autonomy and domestic control over critical technological safeguards.
Professor Ashwini Chhatre, Executive Director, Bharti Institute of Public Policy, ISB, emphasised the need to translate AI ambitions into actionable governance frameworks. He highlighted that AI must be viewed as a long-term national mission shaping the future of the next generation and identified inequality, leapfrogging opportunities, and the future of jobs as key dimensions of the emerging AI landscape. Prof. Chhatre also stressed that access to AI opportunities must remain equitable through appropriate safeguards, social security mechanisms, and affirmative action.
Dr Aarushi Jain, Director, Bharti Institute of Public Policy, ISB, underscored that genuine inclusion requires deliberate policy design. She highlighted that artificial intelligence is no longer a futuristic concept, but a transformative force reshaping economies, governance, education, and healthcare, while influencing the lives of citizens across the globe. Dr Jain further emphasised that the real challenge lies in ensuring that public policy enables AI to become a tool for inclusion rather than exclusion.
The day-long programme featured four thematic panel discussions covering AI’s role in digital commerce, online safety for women and children, healthcare access and affordability, and job creation and digital entrepreneurship. A parallel roundtable examined the operationalisation of AI for last-mile public service delivery, from state governments down to gram panchayats.
More than 250 delegates participated in the Governance Summit 2026, reflecting the growing significance of conversations at the intersection of artificial intelligence, governance, and public policy. The summit brought together a distinguished line-up of policymakers, industry leaders, academics, civil society representatives, and international organisations, including participants from MeitY, Reliance Retail, Mastercard, IIT Madras, UNICEF India, Punjab Police, Karmayogi Bharat, and key stakeholders from the IndiaAI ecosystem. The breadth of participation underscored the summit’s role as a collaborative platform for advancing dialogue on inclusive and responsible AI-driven governance.
The summit was moderated by students of the Advanced Management Programme in Public Policy (AMPPP) at ISB, reflecting the institute’s commitment to training the next generation of policy leaders.
