SHILLONG, MEGHALAYA – Meghalaya’s State Convention Centre today hosted the Regional Artificial Intelligence (AI) Impact Conference 2025, a significant event that serves as a regional precursor to the major India AI Impact Summit scheduled for February 2026. The conference brought together senior government officials, technology leaders, academic experts, and innovators to discuss AI’s vast potential for transformation across the nation.
The event, organized by the Government of Meghalaya in collaboration with the India-AI Mission under the Ministry of Electronics & Information Technology (MeitY), focused on Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s vision of democratising technology to ensure access across the country.
Central Pillars: People, Planet, and Progress
Union Minister for Electronics & Information Technology, Information & Broadcasting, and Railways, Ashwini Vaishnav, addressed the conference virtually. He highlighted that the discussions in Shillong would focus on the three core pillars of the upcoming national summit: People, Planet, and Progress.
The Minister underscored the Central Government’s deep commitment to the India AI Mission, noting a significant allocation of ₹10,300 crore over the past five years.
Boosting AI Infrastructure and Skills
A key focus of the discussion was the development of essential AI infrastructure and talent:
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Computing Power: The government has established a common computing facility and successfully onboarded more than 38,000 Graphics Processing Units (GPUs) to ensure everyone has access to vital AI resources.
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Skill Development: A primary target is to train about 1 million people in AI skills, emphasizing that such training is crucial for future employability.
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Regional Labs: Underscoring the focus on regional access, the Minister announced that a data and AI lab at the National Institute of Electronics & Information Technology (NEILIT), Shillong, is already operational. Furthermore, two new labs are slated for establishment at the Industrial Training Institute (ITI), Shillong, and Shillong Polytechnic, with another one planned for ITI Tura.
The Regional AI Impact Conference marks a major step in the national mission to ensure that the transformative power of Artificial Intelligence reaches every part of India, driving productivity and progress through inclusive access and robust skill development.
