Rajasthan Hosts Regional AI Impact Conference 2026: Boosting India’s Vision for Inclusive and Responsible AI

The Rajasthan Regional AI Impact Conference was held on Tuesday, 06 January 2026, marking a major milestone in India’s journey towards inclusive, ethical, and responsible Artificial Intelligence (AI). The conference brought together national and state leadership, policymakers, industry experts, startups, and academia to deliberate on the transformative role of AI in governance, infrastructure, innovation, and workforce development.

Importantly, the event served as a precursor to the India AI Impact Summit 2026, scheduled to be held from 15–20 February 2026.

Rajasthan Regional AI Impact Conference 2026: Key Highlights

The conference highlighted strong Centre–State collaboration and positioned Rajasthan as a key contributor to India’s AI-led growth journey.

Key Focus Areas

• AI in governance and public service delivery
• AI-driven infrastructure and innovation
• Workforce skilling and employment
• Ethical and responsible AI adoption

Dignitaries Who Attended the Conference

The high-level participation underscored the national importance of the event:

• Bhajan Lal Sharma, Chief Minister of Rajasthan
• Ashwini Vaishnaw, Union Minister for Electronics & IT (virtual address)
• Jitin Prasada, Minister of State (MoS), Electronics & IT
• Rajyavardhan Rathore, Cabinet Minister for IT & Communication, Rajasthan

Senior officials from the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY) and the Government of Rajasthan were also present.

Ashwini Vaishnaw on AI Democratization

Addressing the conference, Ashwini Vaishnaw highlighted AI as a civilizational-scale transformation, comparable to electricity, the internet, and mobile technology.

Key Announcement

• Launch of a programme to train 1 million youth in AI skills
• Aim: Ensure AI-powered intelligence reaches every individual, household, and enterprise
• Focus on democratization of technology

This aligns with India’s long-term vision of inclusive digital empowerment.

₹10,000 Crore India AI Mission: Jitin Prasada

Jitin Prasada emphasized the government’s commitment under the India AI Mission.

Key Points

• ₹10,000 crore investment under the India AI Mission
• AI deployment across agriculture, healthcare, education, and environment
• Goals:

1. Enhance citizens’ income
2. Improve ease of living
3. Boost national productivity

Rajasthan’s AI & ML Policy 2026 Launched

Chief Minister Bhajan Lal Sharma announced that Rajasthan is moving beyond e-governance to become a leader in Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning.

Rajasthan AI/ML Policy 2026

• Promotes transparent, fair, and accountable AI systems
• Improves public service delivery
• Encourages innovation-driven economic growth
• Generates high-value employment

The launch also included the unveiling of Rajasthan’s AI Portal.

Major AI Initiatives Launched at the Conference

Several national and state-level AI initiatives were announced, strengthening Rajasthan’s role as an AI hub.

YUVA AI for All – National AI Literacy Program

• Flagship initiative under the IndiaAI Mission
• Anchored around National Youth Day (12 January)
• Objective: Build foundational AI awareness among students and youth
• Includes a short Foundational AI (AI-101) self-paced course

Other Key Launches

• iStart Learning Management System (LMS) for skill development and entrepreneurship
• Rajasthan AVGC-XR Portal to strengthen Animation, VFX, Gaming, Comics & Extended Reality ecosystem
• Launch of an AI-themed video showcasing India and Rajasthan’s AI vision

MoUs Signed to Strengthen AI Ecosystem

To boost institutional collaboration, MoUs were signed with:

• Google
• Indian Institute of Technology Delhi
• National Law University Jodhpur
• Skill Development Network (Wadhwani Foundation)

These partnerships aim to enhance AI research, skilling, ethical frameworks, and innovation ecosystems.