Jaipur: The Rajasthan Regional AI Impact Conference was held on January 6, bringing together national and state leadership, policymakers, industry leaders, startups, and academia to deliberate on the transformative role of artificial intelligence across governance, infrastructure, innovation, and workforce development.
The conference marked a key regional milestone ahead of the India AI Impact Summit scheduled from February 15–20, 2026.
Rajasthan Regional AI Impact Conference Strengthens Centre–State Collaboration on AI
The Rajasthan Regional AI Impact Conference was attended by Bhajan Lal Sharma, Chief Minister of Rajasthan; Ashwini Vaishnaw, Union Minister for Electronics & Information Technology (virtually); Jitin Prasada, Minister of State for Electronics & IT; and Col. Rajyavardhan Rathore, Cabinet Minister for IT & Communication, Government of Rajasthan.
Senior officials from the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY) and the Government of Rajasthan were also present, highlighting strong Centre–State coordination in positioning Rajasthan as a contributor to India’s AI-led development agenda.
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Addressing the gathering, Ashwini Vaishnaw said that artificial intelligence is poised to drive transformation on the same scale as earlier technological revolutions such as electricity, semiconductors, and the internet.
He announced the launch of a national programme to train one million young people in AI skills, aligned with the Prime Minister’s mission to democratize technology and ensure AI-driven intelligence reaches every citizen, household, and enterprise.
Jitin Prasada stated that the Government of India has committed ₹10,000 crore under the India AI Mission to deploy artificial intelligence across sectors including agriculture, healthcare, education, and the environment. He emphasized that the objective is to improve citizens’ incomes, enhance ease of living, and raise national productivity through responsible and inclusive AI adoption.
Chief Minister Bhajan Lal Sharma noted that Rajasthan is moving beyond e-governance and inclusion towards leadership in artificial intelligence and machine learning. He highlighted the introduction of the state’s AI and ML policy aimed at ensuring transparency, fairness, accountability, and integrity, while improving public service delivery, administrative efficiency, and innovation-driven economic growth.
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Rajasthan Regional AI Impact Conference Showcases Key AI Initiatives and Partnerships
A major highlight of the Rajasthan Regional AI Impact Conference was the announcement and launch of multiple national and state-level AI initiatives.
These included the YUVA AI for All – National AI Literacy Program, a flagship initiative under the IndiaAI Mission led by MeitY, designed to build foundational AI awareness among students and youth across India. Anchored around National Youth Day on January 12, the campaign encourages large-scale participation in a self-paced AI 101 course to promote inclusive and democratic AI learning.
The conference also marked the launch of the Rajasthan AI/ML Policy 2026, aimed at strengthening governance, accelerating economic growth, fostering research and innovation, and generating high-value employment.
This was accompanied by the launch of Rajasthan’s AI portal. Additional initiatives included the iStart Learning Management System to support skilling, entrepreneurship, and innovation, and the Rajasthan AVGC-XR Portal to strengthen the animation, VFX, gaming, comics, and extended reality ecosystem in the state. An AI-themed video outlining India’s and Rajasthan’s AI vision was also unveiled.
Institutional collaboration was reinforced through the signing of memoranda of understanding with Google, IIT Delhi, National Law University Jodhpur, and the Skill Development Network (Wadhwani Foundation) to advance AI research, skilling, ethical frameworks, and innovation ecosystems.
A strategic session featured Abhishek Singh, Additional Secretary, MeitY and CEO of the IndiaAI Mission, in conversation with Vishal Dhupar, Managing Director – South Asia, NVIDIA, moderated by Sameer Jain of Primus Partners.
The discussion focused on democratizing AI infrastructure, strengthening public–private collaboration, enabling innovation at scale, advancing a global AI Safety Commons, and building public-sector capacity for trusted AI.
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Kavita Bhatia, Scientist ‘G’ and Group Coordinator at MeitY and COO of the IndiaAI Mission, presented an overview of the IndiaAI Mission and outlined the priorities for the India AI Impact Summit 2026.
The conference also featured a session on global, national, and regional AI perspectives by Prof. Avinash Sharma of IIT Jodhpur, emphasizing the role of regional research institutions in developing context-aware, globally relevant AI solutions.
Parallel thematic sessions explored AI applications across governance, infrastructure, innovation, ethics, and employment.
Overall, the Rajasthan Regional AI Impact Conference reinforced India’s commitment to leveraging artificial intelligence for public good, inclusive growth, and sustainable development across regions.
