Lucknow emerged as a key national and global convening point for discussions on responsible and inclusive artificial intelligence on Monday, as policymakers, international organisations, industry leaders, and researchers gathered for the Uttar Pradesh Regional AI Impact Conference 2026 alongside the Fourth Meeting of the AI for Economic Growth and Social Good Working Group. The engagements were organised by the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology in collaboration with IndiaAI, with support from the Government of Uttar Pradesh, under the broader framework of the India AI Impact Summit.

The day began with an Inaugural Session that outlined India’s and Uttar Pradesh’s vision for leveraging artificial intelligence to strengthen public service delivery, particularly in healthcare, while ensuring ethical, safe, and inclusive adoption at scale. The session was attended by senior leadership including Shri Yogi Adityanath, Chief Minister of Uttar Pradesh; Shri Jitin Prasada, Union Minister of State for Commerce & Industry and Electronics & Information Technology; Shri Brajesh Pathak, Deputy Chief Minister and Health Minister, Uttar Pradesh; Shri Sunil Kumar Sharma, Minister for Information Technology & Electronics, Uttar Pradesh; and Shri Mayankeshwar Sharan Singh, Minister of State for Medical Health & Family Welfare, Government of Uttar Pradesh. Senior officials including Shri Abhishek Singh, Additional Secretary, Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology; Director General, NIC; CEO, IndiaAI and Mr. Anurag Yadav, Principal Secretary, IT & Electronics Department, Government of Uttar Pradesh, highlighted the role of digital public infrastructure, federated governance, and global partnerships in enabling AI-led economic growth and social good

Speaking on the occasion, Shri Yogi Adityanath, Chief Minister of Uttar Pradesh noted “In February 2026, under the visionary leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, the upcoming AI Impact Summit 2026 aims to bring together stakeholders from various sectors related to AI. The goal is to create awareness among the general public as well as state governments about AI, particularly in healthcare". He further added, “In a large and sensitive state like Uttar Pradesh, addressing healthcare challenges is possible only through a timely, technology-driven, and responsive model. Through artificial intelligence, we are strengthening early diagnosis, critical care, and data-driven decision-making. Our goal is to make Uttar Pradesh a national model for AI-led healthcare.” He also announced UP AI Mission, backed by a budget of around ₹2,000 crores, marking a major step towards building a robust, state-led AI ecosystem aligned with national priorities.

Congratulating the Uttar Pradesh Government on conducting the Uttar Pradesh Regional AI Impact Conference, Shri Jitin Prasada, Minister of State for Commerce & Industry and Electronics & Information Technology, Government of India, said “India is steadily emerging as a global leader in digital technologies and artificial intelligence. Uttar Pradesh is rapidly evolving into a major technology destination, with digital infrastructure reaching even the remotest areas. The government is committed to ensuring that the benefits of AI and emerging technologies reach every citizen, while proactively addressing challenges such as cyber security, deepfakes, and digital literacy. The upcoming AI Impact Summit is a matter of pride for India and marks an important step towards positioning the country as a global provider of AI services.”

Shri Brajesh Pathak, Deputy Chief Minister & Minister of Health, Government of Uttar Pradesh said “Uttar Pradesh has witnessed a transformational shift in healthcare delivery. From expanding medical education and strengthening public health infrastructure to creating one of the largest digital health ecosystems in the country, we are laying the foundation for future-ready healthcare. Artificial Intelligence will play a pivotal role in this journey, enhancing early diagnosis, improving critical care, and enabling data-driven policy decisions. Uttar Pradesh is committed to becoming the national pilot for AI-led healthcare solutions and setting a benchmark for India and the world.”

Shri Sunil Kumar Sharma, Minister for Information Technology & Electronics, Government of Uttar Pradesh, said “The convergence of AI and healthcare is opening new avenues for public welfare in Uttar Pradesh. Guided by the IndiaAI Mission, the state is rapidly advancing AI-driven healthcare services, digital health, and innovation. Our focus is to ensure affordable, accessible, and quality healthcare reaches the last mile through technology. This conference marks an important step towards building an inclusive, AI-enabled, and future-ready healthcare ecosystem for the state.”

A major announcement on Day 1 underscored India’s commitment to decentralising AI capacity and strengthening state-level ecosystems. The IndiaAI Mission announced the establishment of 62 AI and data labs that will be set up across Uttar Pradesh, significantly strengthening the state’s AI research, skilling, and deployment capabilities. In a further boost to institutional capacity, the IndiaAI Mission and the Government of Uttar Pradesh signed a Memorandum of Understanding for the establishment IndiaAI Data and AI labs. On this occasion, Shri Abhishek Singh, Additional Secretary, Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology, CEO, IndiaAI Mission, DG, National Informatics Centre said, “Artificial intelligence can play a transformative role in addressing long-standing challenges in healthcare, from access to specialist care and timely diagnosis to population-scale service delivery. Through the IndiaAI Mission, we are building the foundations, compute capacity, indigenous models, governance frameworks and ecosystem support, to enable trusted AI solutions to be deployed at scale. States are critical partners in this journey, and Uttar Pradesh’s leadership can demonstrate how AI-enabled healthcare innovations can deliver real impact for India and the Global South.”

The Regional Summit brought together domestic and international experts to examine global best practices and emerging use cases across healthcare systems, including AI-enabled diagnostics, health digital public infrastructure, workforce empowerment, telemedicine, and state-level readiness. Discussions underscored how India and its states can emerge as global leaders in population-scale, low-cost AI innovation by aligning policy frameworks with ecosystem-led innovation from startups, academia, and industry.

Public-facing sessions during the Working Group engagement examined pathways for translating high-level principles into implementable approaches, with a particular focus on Global South priorities. Panels also discussed the design of the proposed Global AI Impact Awards as a mechanism to incentivise responsible, contextually relevant, and scalable AI innovation. These deliberations were followed by a closed-door Working Group session involving invited countries and international organisations, where participants consolidated inputs leading up to the India AI Impact Summit 2026.

Together, the convenings of day 1 of Uttar Pradesh Regional AI Impact Conference 2026 and the Working Group Meeting reinforced India’s growing leadership in shaping a global AI agenda rooted in trust, inclusion, and measurable impact.

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