Industry leaders convened to discuss the transformative potential of artificial intelligence, highlighting that AI is ushering in a new era of productivity alongside significant risks that necessitate preparedness from both enterprises and the government. They emphasized that while AI offers immense opportunities for India's economic growth, establishing robust guardrails and governance frameworks is paramount for its safe adoption and for building resilience against potential disruptions.

Sandip Patel, Managing Director of IBM India & South Asia, articulated that AI can serve as a powerful accelerator for achieving the vision of 'Viksit Bharat in 2047,' which is rooted in technological empowerment, inclusive economic growth, and digital sovereignty. Citing a global survey by IBM, Patel noted that AI adoption in India is comparatively higher than in other nations. However, he clarified that this adoption is largely experimental, and scaling AI solutions is lagging. Key reasons for this include gaps in trust and confidence in the technology, as well as the need for credible use cases demonstrating a clear return on investment (ROI). Patel shared that IBM itself is a proponent of AI adoption, with 95% of its HR processes now being managed by AI agents.

Alok B Lall, COO of Microsoft India & South Asia, stressed the importance for businesses to fundamentally reshape their operational processes in response to AI advancements. He introduced evolving concepts such as 'human-in-the-loop,' 'human-on-the-loop,' and 'human-out-of-the-loop,' reflecting the increasing autonomy of AI agents that can perform tasks by interacting with other agents. Lall also underscored the need for enterprises to empower their employees with AI tools. He suggested that AI is fundamentally altering how organizations approach talent, questioning whether extensive experience is always necessary when a less experienced individual, equipped with a powerful AI assistant, could be equally effective.

Debjani Ghosh, a distinguished fellow at NITI Aayog and chief architect of NITI Frontier Tech Hub, described AI as instigating a moment of "irreversible acceleration," where intelligence is no longer confined to machines but becomes deeply embedded into life itself. Ghosh asserted that India has a pivotal role in shaping this AI-driven future. She believes India's tradition of human-centric thinking, inclusivity, and respect for the collective good must become its competitive advantage in a world increasingly reliant on trust for its survival. However, she also cautioned that bad actors might master AI technology more rapidly, making it crucial for countries to build resilience to recover quickly from any ensuing negative events.

Shiv Siddhant Kaul, co-chair of the CII National AI Forum and Managing Director of NICCO Engineering Services, detailed the efforts of CII’s AI taskforce. This taskforce has been focusing on outreach programs and workshops to familiarize businesses with AI, with a particular emphasis on Micro, Small, and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs) that may not be extensively engaging with the technology. Kaul also highlighted a generational gap in AI awareness and usage, noting that the 48–55 year age group is particularly lagging. He posited that for many companies, embracing AI is becoming an "existential" imperative. Newer companies leveraging AI by empowering younger, tech-savvy individuals are likely to gain a competitive edge, and the challenge lies in ensuring that companies left behind do not create significant employment gaps in society.

Taranjeet Singh Bhamra, founder and CEO of AgNext Technologies, provided insights from the startup ecosystem. He observed that startups are readily embracing AI, often focusing on precise use cases rather than broad experimentation, primarily due to their relatively limited resources compared to large enterprises. Focusing on the agricultural sector, Bhamra explained that AI can play a significant role in optimizing inputs and accurately measuring output quantity and quality. These capabilities are essential for developing algorithms that can contribute to increasing food production and efficiency in agriculture.