The IndiaAI Mission, MeitY, in collaboration with IIT Hyderabad, hosted the Working Group Meeting on Inclusion for Social Empowerment at the IIT Hyderabad campus. The meeting convened senior policymakers, academic leaders, industry experts and researchers to advance national deliberations on inclusive AI development, societal adoption of AI and equitable access to AI-driven opportunities.

The Meeting is a precursor to the India AI Impact Summit 2026, scheduled to be held in New Delhi from 16–20 February 2026, and is part of the series of Working Group consultations being organised across the country to inform the Summit’s thematic agenda and outcomes.

The inaugural session featured addresses by the Indian chair of the Working Group, Rajesh Aggarwal, Chief Secretary, Government of Maharashtra; Ambassador Thomas Schneider, Director, Federal Office for Communications, Switzerland; Prof. B.S. Murty, Director, IIT Hyderabad; Dr Nalin Kumar Srivastava, Additional Director, AI & ET Division, MeitY; and Ch. Bharath Reddy, Joint Director (e-Governance), Government of Telangana. The speakers emphasised the importance of embedding inclusion, trust and societal context at the core of India’s AI journey.

Welcoming the participants, Prof. B.S. Murty, Director, IIT Hyderabad, highlighted, “If India truly aspires to lead in AI, we must take bold steps. AI has to be interdisciplinary, bringing together engineering, materials science, liberal arts, and beyond. From strong fundamentals to real-world applications, our focus must be on improving lives, while also addressing the challenges of responsible and acceptable AI.”

Setting the context for the Working Group, Dr Nalin Kumar Srivastava, Additional Director, AI & ET Division, MeitY, said, “This gathering brings together ignited minds to address critical issues of inclusion, access, responsibility, and equity in AI. This is not just about technology; it is about social empowerment, with people at the centre. AI is not a technological choice; it is our moral duty.”

In his plenary address, Rajesh Aggarwal, Chief Secretary, Government of Maharashtra, emphasised, “India’s work on AI is structured around seven verticals, one of which focuses on social empowerment, with active participation from several countries and international organisations. While AI is enabling advances in science, materials, healthcare, and discovery, it must ultimately serve people from very different social and economic backgrounds. India has built strong digital public infrastructure, and the next step is to add an AI layer to these systems. As AI grows, it must work for everyone, address bias in data and language, and ensure that technology does not increase inequalities but helps all sections of society.”

Ch. Bharath Reddy, Joint Director (e-Governance), Government of Telangana, spoke about the Telangana Government’s focus on innovation and said, “Our focus has always been on growth, and the adoption of new technologies is central to that objective. I represent the Government of Telangana, and these efforts reflect our commitment to building a strong, future-ready innovation ecosystem. At the upcoming India AI Impact Summit in Delhi, these themes will be taken forward through focused breakout sessions, enabling deeper discussions and collaboration across stakeholders.”