Rajasthan hosts Regional AI Impact Conference, advances India’s vision for inclusive and responsible AI
The event witnessed participation from Rajasthan Chief Minister Bhajan Lal Sharma, Union Minister for Electronics and Information Technology Ashwini Vaishnaw, who addressed the conference virtually, minister of state for electronics and IT Jitin Prasada, and Rajasthan cabinet minister for IT and communication Rajyavardhan Rathore, along with senior officials.
Jaipur, January 7: Rajasthan hosted the Regional AI Impact Conference on January 6, bringing together national and state leadership, policymakers, industry leaders, startups and academia to deliberate on the transformative role of artificial intelligence in governance, infrastructure, innovation and workforce development. The conference marked a key precursor to the India AI Impact Summit scheduled to be held from February 15 to 20, 2026.
The event witnessed participation from Rajasthan Chief Minister Bhajan Lal Sharma, Union Minister for Electronics and Information Technology Ashwini Vaishnaw, who addressed the conference virtually, minister of state for electronics and IT Jitin Prasada, and Rajasthan cabinet minister for IT and communication Rajyavardhan Rathore, along with senior officials from the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology and the state government. The participation highlighted strong Centre–state coordination in positioning Rajasthan as a contributor to India’s AI-led growth.
Addressing the gathering, Ashwini Vaishnaw said artificial intelligence is set to drive transformation at a scale comparable to the industrial revolution, electricity, computers and the internet. He said a national programme was launched at the conference to train one million young people in artificial intelligence skills, in line with the Prime Minister’s vision of democratising technology so that AI-powered intelligence reaches every individual, household and enterprise.
Jitin Prasada said the government has committed an investment of ₹10,000 crore under the India AI Mission to deploy artificial intelligence across sectors such as agriculture, healthcare, education and the environment. He said the initiative aims to enhance incomes, improve ease of living and raise national productivity through responsible and inclusive use of AI.
Bhajan Lal Sharma said Rajasthan is moving beyond e-governance towards becoming a leader in artificial intelligence and machine learning. He said the newly introduced AI and ML policy will promote transparency, fairness and accountability in AI systems, while enabling faster, more citizen-centric public service delivery and innovation-driven economic growth.
A major highlight of the conference was the launch of multiple national and state-level initiatives. These included YUVA AI for All, a national AI literacy programme under the India AI Mission aimed at building foundational AI awareness among students and youth across the country, anchored around National Youth Day on January 12. The programme seeks to mobilise lakhs of learners to complete a short foundational AI course aligned with the vision of inclusive and democratic AI adoption.
The conference also saw the launch of the Rajasthan AI and ML Policy 2026 and the state’s dedicated AI portal, the iStart Learning Management System to support skilling, entrepreneurship and innovation, and the Rajasthan AVGC-XR portal to strengthen the animation, visual effects, gaming, comics and extended reality ecosystem. An AI-themed video outlining India’s and Rajasthan’s AI vision was also unveiled.
Strengthening institutional collaboration, memoranda of understanding were signed with Google, IIT Delhi, National Law University Jodhpur and the Skill Development Network of the Wadhwani Foundation to advance AI research, skilling, ethical frameworks and innovation ecosystems.
A high-level strategic session featured Abhishek Singh, Additional Secretary, MeitY and CEO of the India AI Mission, in conversation with Vishal Dhupar, Managing Director for South Asia at NVIDIA, moderated by Sameer Jain. The discussion focused on democratising AI infrastructure, strengthening public–private collaboration, enabling innovation at scale and building public-sector capacity for trusted and responsible AI.
An overview of the India AI Mission and the priorities of the India AI Impact Summit 2026 was presented by Kavita Bhatia, Scientist ‘G’ and group coordinator at MeitY and COO of the India AI Mission. The conference also featured a session on global, national and regional AI perspectives by Avinash Sharma, professor at IIT Jodhpur, highlighting the role of regional research institutions in developing context-aware AI solutions.
Parallel thematic sessions examined real-world applications of AI across governance, infrastructure, innovation, ethics and employment.
The Rajasthan Regional AI Impact Conference marked a significant regional milestone in the lead-up to the India AI Impact Summit 2026, reinforcing India’s commitment to leveraging artificial intelligence for public good, inclusive growth and sustainable development.
