Meghalaya used its pavilion at the India AI Impact Conference at Bharat Mandapam to present a coordinated push into artificial intelligence, highlighting practical uses in governance, climate response and rural development. The state framed its participation as more than a showcase, saying the display underlined Meghalaya’s intent to compete for digital investment and partnerships at the national level.
Chief Minister Conrad K Sangma called it a “proud moment” and wrote on social media that he was “glad to witness Meghalaya shining bright at the India AI Impact Conference at Bharat Mandapam,” describing the event as “one of the world’s largest gatherings on Artificial Intelligence, proudly hosted by India.”
The Meghalaya Pavilion brought together multiple government departments, research centres and startups to demonstrate a unified strategy. Participants included the IT & Communications Department (Government of Meghalaya), the State GIS & UAV Centre (MBDA), the Climate Change Centre (MBDA), Sirobilt, Shamrock AI, Ruralnomics (a PRIME startup), Edviseme (a PRIME startup), and USTM Meghalaya.
Officials said exhibits focused on field-level impact rather than conceptual displays. Demonstrations highlighted GIS-driven planning, UAV-based monitoring and AI-led advisory systems aimed at farmers and small enterprises. Presenters emphasised how these tools can strengthen governance processes, improve climate data analysis and support rural economic activity.
The presence of PRIME-backed startups was positioned as an attempt to link state policy with entrepreneurship and local innovation ecosystems. Organisers and delegates argued that pairing government initiatives with startup solutions can accelerate on-the-ground deployments and scale practical benefits for communities.
Sangma framed Meghalaya’s role as a regional leader, saying: “This is not just participation, this is leadership from the Northeast in the AI revolution.” He also congratulated Prime Minister Narendra Modi on the summit’s success and thanked Union Minister for Electronics and IT Ashwini Vaishnaw for the opportunity to participate.
The conference drew policymakers, technology firms, startups and academic institutions from across India to discuss responsible scaling of AI and alignment with public policy. For Meghalaya, the takeaways were clear: position AI as a tool for governance reform and climate resilience, and use targeted partnerships to translate technology into measurable benefits for rural and state-level development.
Original Source: https://www.indiatodayne.in/meghalaya/story/meghalaya-pitches-ai-led-governance-and-climate-action-at-india-ai-impact-conference-1347819-2026-02-18?utm_source=rssfeed
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Publish Date: 2026-02-18 08:52:00
