Patna: The Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Patna on Tuesday, hosted the India AI Pre-Summit 2026, an official lead-up event to the India AI Impact Summit scheduled for next year. The gathering brought together voices from academia, industry, government and research to deliberate on how artificial intelligence can support innovation, startup growth and national development priorities.
The pre-summit was inaugurated with the lighting of a ceremonial lamp by Prof T N Singh, Director of IIT Patna, and Prof Rajiv Misra, Head of the Institute’s Computer Science and Engineering Department and Convener of the event. Senior faculty members, government officials and industry leaders were also present at the opening session, underscoring the cross-sector nature of the discussions.
Welcoming participants, Misra described the pre-summit as a platform to align India’s emerging AI roadmap with long-term economic and social goals. Singh, delivering the chief guest address, said India’s demographic scale presented both opportunity and responsibility, making the ethical, efficient and socially beneficial use of AI essential for the country’s future.
Discussions at the summit focused on key national themes, including AI for child safety, climate resilience and disaster management, as well as the development of a robust national AI infrastructure. Experts from global and Indian organisations such as Microsoft, IBM, Salesforce, BharatGPT, Sprinklr, Wadhwani AI, Ericsson and ONYX Healthcare shared practical insights, while thematic sessions by UNICEF and C-DAC Pune added policy and societal perspectives.
The programme featured expert talks, panel discussions and group deliberations aimed at developing consolidated recommendations to strengthen India’s AI innovation ecosystem. With strong participation from students, researchers, industry delegates and government representatives, organisers said the outcomes would feed into the broader vision of responsible, inclusive and impactful AI adoption at the national level.
