The Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY), Government of India, hosted a high-level panel discussion on Artificial Intelligence at the Emerging Science, Technology & Innovation Conclave (ESTIC) 2025 in New Delhi.
Chaired by S Krishnan, Secretary, MeitY, the session brought together senior policymakers, researchers, and industry leaders to explore how India can harness AI responsibly to drive innovation, inclusion, and global competitiveness. The discussion also set the stage for the upcoming India-AI Impact Summit 2026, focused on strengthening the country’s AI ecosystem through infrastructure expansion, indigenous model development, ethical governance, and international collaboration.
Opening the session, S Krishnan said, “The critical aspect of all technology is the impact it has on society, how it enhances quality of life, and what it offers to people. For India, this is truly an opportunity to leverage a horizontal, cross-cutting technology like AI to ensure the country is firmly on the path to becoming Viksit Bharat by 2047.”
Highlighting the IndiaAI Mission’s integrated approach to building a world-class AI ecosystem, Abhishek Singh, Additional Secretary, MeitY, and CEO, IndiaAI Mission, said, “To unlock pathways for AI innovation, the IndiaAI Mission is addressing all the gaps that exist in our story. With the Mission’s seven-pillar strategy — including affordable computing, quality datasets, foundation models, startup enablement, and trustworthy AI tools — we are building an ecosystem that enables India to catch up with the best in the world.”
Sharing his perspective on frugal innovation, Sridhar Vembu, Co-Founder and Chief Scientist, Zoho Corporation, noted, “When you don’t have all the resources available, constraints push you to come up with better solutions. I genuinely believe there is new science waiting to be discovered — a completely different foundation that could change how we approach these problems.”
The session featured insights from AI leaders across sectors. Dr Geeta Manjunath, Founder and CEO of Niramai Health Analytix, spoke about AI’s impact in making breast cancer detection more accessible. Dr Sriram Raghavan, Vice President, IBM Research (AI), emphasised the importance of open innovation ecosystems, while Dr Amit Sheth, NCR Chair and Professor at the University of South Carolina, discussed the evolution from generic to domain-specific AI systems transforming sectors like manufacturing and energy.
A panel discussion on Responsible AI for Innovation and Inclusion, moderated by Shashi Shekhar Vempati, Co-founder of the DeepTech for Bharat Foundation, brought together thought leaders including Dr Harrick Mayank Vin (TCS), Prof Balaraman Ravindran (IIT Madras), Rimjhim Agrawal (BrainSightAI), Debjani Ghosh (NITI Aayog), and Prof P Venkat Rangan (Amrita Vishwa Vidyapeetham).
The experts underscored the need for responsible and inclusive AI growth — combining infrastructure expansion, indigenous innovation, ethical frameworks, and global collaboration — to ensure that technological progress aligns with India’s developmental priorities and social inclusion goals.