AI will power India’s rise as a global knowledge superpower, says Dharmendra Pradhan

The Ministry of Education organised a special session titled "Ministry of Education – Pushing the Frontier of AI in India" today at Bharat Mandapam, New Delhi, as part of the India AI Impact Summit 2026.

The high-level session was attended by Union Minister for Education Shri Dharmendra Pradhan and was also graced by Shri Jayant Chaudhary, Minister of State for Education and Skill Development & Entrepreneurship (Independent Charge).

The session brought together senior government leadership, eminent academic experts, researchers, and AI-driven education startup founders, underscoring India's growing momentum in integrating artificial intelligence across learning, skilling, and research ecosystems.

Summit a Pathbreaking Initiative to Accelerate AI Growth: Dharmendra Pradhan

Speaking on the occasion, Shri Dharmendra Pradhan described the India AI Impact Summit as a visionary initiative of the Hon'ble Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi to showcase and accelerate the growth of AI in India.

Highlighting India's rapid technological progress, he said the world is increasingly looking toward India as the nation embraces AI at a remarkable pace.

He expressed confidence that AI will play a transformative role in achieving the national vision of Viksit Bharat 2047, positioning India as a global knowledge leader.

"AI will be a driving force in making India a global knowledge superpower," the Minister said.

"AI in Education and Education in AI Are Deeply Intertwined"

Emphasising the role of young innovators, Shri Pradhan noted that Indian youth are thinking differently from previous generations.

He underlined the inseparable relationship between education and artificial intelligence, calling on students and young professionals to harness AI for empowerment and innovation.

"AI in education and education in AI are deeply intertwined," he said, urging the next generation to educate, embrace, empower, and create pathbreaking initiatives that will shape India's global AI leadership.

Jayant Chaudhary Highlights Structured Integration Across Education Ecosystem

Shri Jayant Chaudhary said the deliberations at #IndiaAIImpactSummit2026 were highly insightful, with leaders from academia and industry discussing a structured integration of AI across education.

He noted that the discussions spanned:

• Foundational learning

• Skilling and employability

• Advanced research

• Global leadership in AI

All aligned with the Viksit Bharat 2047 vision.

He also visited the Ministry of Education and Skill India pavilions, which showcased practical, scalable, India-first AI solutions translating policy vision into real-world impact.

Decade of Foundations for AI-Enabled Education

Over the last ten years, the Ministry of Education has progressively laid the groundwork for AI integration through:

• National digital learning platforms

• Policy frameworks and institutional reforms

• Large-scale capacity building

• Curriculum and teacher training initiatives

• Innovation and research ecosystems

Following last year's Budget announcement, the Government established a Centre of Excellence in AI for Education at IIT Madras, marking a major step toward responsible AI adoption in learning systems.

The Ministry has also conducted wide-ranging consultations with academia, industry, civil society, and government bodies to chart the national roadmap for AI in education.

From Vision to Implementation at Scale

The session highlighted India's transition from policy vision to nationwide implementation, leveraging:

• Digital Public Infrastructure

• Centres of Excellence

• Teacher training programmes

• Curriculum integration

• Deep collaboration with startups and industry

The focus was on systemic interventions rather than isolated pilots, ensuring sustainable and scalable transformation of education outcomes.

Eminent Panel of Leaders from Academia and Industry

The session featured distinguished leaders from academia, industry, and the investment ecosystem, including:

• Dr. Sridhar Vembu, Founder & CEO, Zoho Corporation

• Dr. Vibhu Mittal, Technologist & Innovation Leader, Inflection

• Shri Rajan Anandan, Managing Director, Peak XV Partners

• Prof. Manindra Agrawal, Director, IIT Kanpur

• Prof. V. Kamakoti, Director, IIT Madras

• Prof. Sunita Sarawagi, IIT Bombay

The discussion was moderated by Prof. Manoj S. Gaur, Director, IIT Jammu.

Panelists explored how governance frameworks, indigenous AI innovation, national learning platforms, and responsible deployment of frontier AI models are converging to reshape education in India.

Strengthening Industry–Academia–Government Collaboration

The session aimed to brainstorm India's national AI-in-education roadmap and further strengthen collaboration between:

• Government institutions

• Academic and research leaders

• Industry innovators

• Startup ecosystem

The Ministry reaffirmed its commitment to ensuring AI becomes a catalyst for inclusive, equitable, and future-ready education for all.