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Mumbai, July 31, 2026: The Bombay Chamber of Commerce & Industry hosted the AI for Viksit Bharat Summit 2026 in Mumbai, bringing together leading voices from industry, technology, academia and the startup ecosystem to deliberate on how artificial intelligence can accelerate India’s journey towards becoming a developed nation. The summit served as a platform to explore AI’s transformative impact across sectors, its implications for the future of work, and India’s opportunity to emerge as a global AI innovation hub.

The summit commenced with a welcome address and theme-setting by Harish Narayanan, Chairman, Digitalisation Committee, Bombay Chamber and CMO & CDO, HDFC AMC, who underscored the need for responsible AI adoption, stronger public-private collaboration, and innovation-led growth to realise the vision of Viksit Bharat. He also spoke about the need to go beyond just jargon and leverage AI to scale up businesses. “Theoretical AI is not of any use to anybody. How do we take it from artificial intelligence to applied intelligence? If I don’t catch up on technology trends and innovations, every week there is a new model that is coming up. Every new week there are new technologies.”

Delivering the keynote address, Harish Mehta, Founder & Executive Chairman, Onward Technologies and Co-founder, NASSCOM, spoke about India’s AI-powered future, emphasising that the country’s progress will be driven not by a handful of leaders, but by the collective aspirations and innovations of millions of Indians. Describing every citizen as a “firefly” capable of illuminating India’s future, he remarked, “India will shine through millions and millions of fireflies over 782 districts of India… India should shine through millions of fireflies.” He added that the vision of Viksit Bharat rests on empowering every individual to excel in their respective fields, noting, “When you say Viksit Bharat, these millions of fireflies are each one of you.”

Mehta further reflected on India’s remarkable evolution from a closed economy to a global technology powerhouse through the collective effort of countless innovators and entrepreneurs. He stressed that sustained growth depends on building strong ecosystems rather than isolated success,”If you do not focus on the ecosystem, your growth would be highly limited.”

Highlighting artificial intelligence as the next great enabler of national transformation, he said that AI has the potential to empower every Indian to participate in the country’s development journey. “AI will enable every one of us to contribute… billion Indians. Once they are enabled, they would create the Viksit Bharat that we are looking forward to.” 

The first panel discussion, “AI Transforming Bharat’s Core Sectors,” examined how AI is reshaping financial services, digital infrastructure, media and enterprise transformation. Moderated by Srikanth RP, Editor, Express Computer, the session featured Dhiraj Relli, Director, Bombay Chamber and MD & CEO, HDFC Securities Ltd; Avinash Joshi, Executive Managing Director, India, NTT DATA; and Abe Thomas, CEO, Radio City. The panel discussed practical applications of AI, the importance of trusted digital ecosystems, and the need to balance innovation with responsible governance.

The summit also witnessed the launch of Express Computer, reinforcing the publication’s commitment to advancing conversations around India’s digital transformation.

The second panel, “AI, Jobs & Future Skills,” explored the changing nature of work in an AI-enabled economy. Moderated by Hareesh Tibrewala, CEO, Anhad Consultancy Services, the discussion brought together Indraneel Gawde, Chief Business Officer, Schbang; Ravi Eppaturi, Vice President – Technology Strategy, Ashtech Infotech India Pvt. Ltd.; and Dr. Utpal Chakraborty, Founder and Chief Scientist, GAHNA. The panellists emphasised that while AI will redefine existing roles, it will also create new opportunities, making continuous learning, reskilling and digital literacy central to India’s future workforce.

The summit featured dedicated technology sessions from Amazon Web Services (AWS) and Google, showcasing how organisations can accelerate AI adoption through scalable cloud infrastructure, advanced AI capabilities and practical enterprise use cases.

The concluding fireside discussion, “Can Bharat Become an AI Innovation Hub?”, moderated by Harish Narayanan, brought together Dr. Aditya Kulkarni, Founder & CEO, CareNx Innovations Private Limited; Syed Adil, India Head, Replit; and Subramanian Natarajan, Head – AI & Cloud Practice and Chief Technology & Innovation Officer, L&T Vyoma. The discussion explored India’s strengths in talent, entrepreneurship and digital public infrastructure, while identifying policy support, research investment and stronger industry-academia collaboration as critical enablers for establishing India as a global AI powerhouse.

The summit concluded with a vote of thanks delivered by Hareesh Tibrewala, CEO Anhad Consultancy Services.