Dharmendra Pradhan Launches Bodhan AI CoE, Unveils Bharat EduAI Stack Vision

Union Minister for Education Shri Dharmendra Pradhan today launched the Bodhan AI Centre of Excellence at the Bharat Bodhan AI Conclave 2026 held at Bharat Mandapam, marking a major push to integrate Artificial Intelligence (AI) across India's education ecosystem.

The two-day conclave, attended by Minister of State for Education Shri Sukanta Majumdar, senior officials, academic leaders, researchers and AI-focused startups, is envisioned as a national platform for ecosystem mapping, strategic alignment and partnership-building in AI-enabled education.

Among the senior officials present were Shri Sanjay Kumar, Secretary, School Education & Literacy; Dr Vineet Joshi, Secretary, Higher Education; Shri S. Krishnan, Secretary, MeitY; and Prof V Kamakoti, Director, IIT Madras.

Bharat EduAI Stack: A National Architecture for AI in Education

At the heart of the conclave is the proposed Bharat EduAI Stack — an open, interoperable architecture designed to build, integrate and scale AI-powered learning solutions across India.

The initiative aims to:

• Enable ecosystem discovery and identify gaps in AI-enabled education

• Build strategic partnerships across government, academia, startups and industry

• Create scalable, sovereign AI solutions tailored to India's needs

The conclave is structured around four priority verticals:

• AI for School Education

• AI for Higher Education

• AI for Skilling and Workforce Readiness

• AI Research and Deep Technology

"India's AI Will Be Inclusive, Interoperable and Sovereign"

Addressing the gathering, Shri Dharmendra Pradhan said the conclave brings together the full spectrum of stakeholders to integrate AI at scale and realise Prime Minister Narendra Modi's vision of an AI-ready India.

He stressed that India's AI framework must be:

• Inclusive by design

• Interoperable by architecture

• Sovereign by capability

Calling for responsible and ethical innovation, he urged stakeholders to develop India-centric AI models that empower students, support teachers and accelerate progress toward Viksit Bharat.

"The collective wisdom of this conclave will strengthen India's leadership in AI, build Digital Public Infrastructure (DPI) in education and ensure AI for All," he said.

Minister of State Shri Sukanta Majumdar echoed the call for responsible innovation, urging stakeholders to commit to S.A.F.E AI — Secure, Accountable, Fair and Empowering — as India prepares for the India-AI Impact Summit 2026.

Major Launches and Global Partnerships

Several key initiatives and institutional partnerships were announced:

• MoU between IIT Bombay and Columbia University to establish a Centre of AI for Manufacturing

• Launch of the IIM Lucknow AI Programme

• Institutional collaborations involving IIM Jammu and AIT Bangkok

• IIM Ranchi Initiative – Teaching with AI

A special session showcased Bodhan.ai, the AI Centre of Excellence for Education at IIT Madras, including a detailed presentation on the Bharat EduAI Stack vision.

Mr. Pratyush Kumar, CEO of Sarvam AI, also addressed the gathering on the future trajectory of AI in education.

An exhibition highlighting AI-driven innovations in school education, higher education and skilling was inaugurated, enabling policymakers and innovators to engage directly.

Technical Sessions Spotlight Scalable Solutions

Two technical sessions featured leading AI education practitioners and innovators.

Technical Session 1: School Education & Classroom SolutionsModerated by Vibhu Mittal (Inflection AI), the session brought together leaders from Rocket Learning, CK-12 Foundation, Khan Academy, Vedantu, iDream Education, LEAD Group, Arivihan, Learning Matters and Eckovation to present scalable AI-enabled classroom innovations.

Technical Session 2: Teacher Capacity Building, FLN & Systemic ReformModerated by Prakash Kumar (Wadhwani Centre for Government Digital Transformation), speakers from EkStep Foundation, IIT Bombay (TARA), Language & Learning Foundation, Sampark Foundation, Madhi Foundation, TCS Foundation and Vidya Shakti discussed AI-driven interventions in teacher support, foundational literacy and numeracy (FLN) and governance reform.

Day Two: DPI, Platforms and Emerging Technologies

The conclave will continue on 13 February 2026, focusing on:

• Digital Public Infrastructure in education

• AI platforms and emerging technologies

• Skills development

• Higher education transformation

The Bharat Bodhan AI Conclave 2026 signals a decisive step toward embedding AI into India's education system — not merely as a technological tool, but as a foundational pillar for inclusive, scalable and sovereign educational transformation.