On the sidelines of the India AI Impact Summit 2026, the largest AI gathering in the Global South, the Ministry of Skill Development and Entrepreneurship organised a high-level interactive session titled “Human-Centric AI: How India Can Power the World through Talent, Trust and Technology.” Convened as part of the Expert Engagement Group (EEG) discussions, the session brought together leading global and national voices to deliberate on India’s pivotal role in shaping a responsible, inclusive and talent-driven AI future.

The keynote address was delivered by Professor Bhaskar Chakravorti, Dean of Global Business, The Fletcher School, Tufts University, on “Human Flourishing in the Age of AI” and the vision for a Global South coalition for transition infrastructure. The panel discussion was moderated by Sidharth Madaan, Partner & Managing Director, BCG, and featured Yolynd Lobo, Director and Head of Global Affairs and Public Policy, Google Cloud India; Arunkumar Pillai, CEO, NSDC; Rakesh Kaul, Technology Consulting Partner, EY; and Dr. Neena Pahuja, Former Executive Member, NCVET, who shared insights on building AI capabilities anchored in talent, trust and technology.

The session concluded with a compelling live demonstration by Sunil Kumar, Lead Engineer – Machine Learning, Google, on “ Scaling Creative with GCP GenMedia,” showcasing how GenMedia models can generate production-ready assets, enable immersive AI-driven creative workflows, and transform conceptual ideas into scalable, real-world applications

The session was also graced by Ms. Debashree Mukherjee, Secretary, Ministry of Skill Development and Entrepreneurship, Government of India, who actively engaged with participants, shared her perspectives on aligning AI skilling with national priorities, and emphasised the importance of building a talent ecosystem rooted in trust, inclusivity and industry relevance. Ms. Debashree Mukherjee, Secretary, MSDE, also visited the Skill India Pavilion, where she interacted with exhibitors showcasing cutting-edge innovations in skilling, digital learning, and AI-enabled training solutions. She engaged in detailed discussions with industry partners and training providers, appreciating their efforts in aligning emerging technologies with inclusive and outcome-driven skill development.

Delivering the keynote address, Prof. Bhaskar Chakravorti of The Fletcher School, Tufts University, highlighted that the future of AI leadership will be determined not only by technological capability, but by trust frameworks, digital public infrastructure and the strength of national talent pipelines. He noted that India’s experience in building inclusive, population-scale digital systems gives it a distinctive advantage in designing AI that is equitable, accessible and trusted.

The panel discussion, moderated by Mr. Sidharth Madaan of BCG, featured Ms. Yolynd Lobo of Google Cloud India, Mr. Arunkumar Pillai of NSDC, Mr. Rakesh Kaul of EY and Dr. Neena Pahuja of NCVET. The conversation focused on how AI is reshaping skilling ecosystems, institutional preparedness and workforce pathways.

Mr. Arunkumar Pillai, CEO, National Skill Development Corporation (NSDC) underlined that AI is not merely a subject of instruction but an enabler of delivery, functioning as trainer, assessor and career guide. Through AI awareness programmes, the SOAR initiative and AI-enabled capabilities within the Skill India Digital Hub (SIDH), learners are now benefiting from personalised pathways, real-time labour market insights and outcome-based assessments.

Dr. Neena Pahuja outlined a structured three-tier framework - AI for All, AI for Many and AI for Few, to build capabilities from foundational literacy to advanced specialisation. She shared that SOAR registrations have crossed two lakh learners and highlighted the rollout of nano-credentials, stackable pathways and modular qualifications aligned with the National Credit Framework. She mentioned that our ITIs are also integrating short-duration AI modules to enhance productivity across traditional trades.

Mr. Rakesh Kaul stressed that the central question is not whether AI will transform work, but how institutions anticipate and manage that shift through responsible innovation and risk preparedness. Ms. Yolynd Lobo emphasized the need to expand domestic compute capacity, deepen partnerships and connect AI solutions across value chains, ensuring inclusion from agriculture to creative industries.

The session concluded with a shared commitment to collaborative action between government, academia and industry to ensure that India’s AI journey remains human-centric, inclusive and globally competitive.

 

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