Shillong hosts India’s first Regional AI Impact Conference 2025
By Our Reporter
SHILLONG, Dec 3: Meghalaya emerged as the epicentre of India’s Artificial Intelligence revolution as the state capital hosted the country’s first Regional AI Impact Conference 2025 on Wednesday, organised by the IndiaAI Mission (MeitY) in collaboration with the state’s IT & Communication Department.
Over 700 participants including AI experts, entrepreneurs, corporate leaders and government officials attended the day-long event themed “Artificial Intelligence for Citizen Empowerment: Smarter Governance, Better Lives”.
This conference is the first of seven regional events leading up to the India AI Impact Summit to be held in New Delhi from February 15–20, 2026.
In his virtual address, Union Electronics & Information Technology Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw highlighted Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s vision to democratise technology through three AI sutras: People, Planet, Progress.
Stating that the Centre has allocated Rs 10,300 crore over 5 years under the IndiaAI Mission, he noted that 3,800 datasets and more than 250 open-source models have been made available to innovators and developers, enabling faster and more affordable AI-based application development.
The Minister added that India’s goal is to train one million people in AI skills, which will be a defining factor for employability in the future.
One Data/AI Lab is already operational at National Institute of Electronics and Information Technology (NIELIT) Shillong, two more are coming up at ITI Shillong and the Shillong Polytechnic while a third is being planned at ITI Tura, he added.
In his address, Chief Minister Conrad K. Sangma emphasised that Meghalaya is moving towards 100% data-driven governance with AI already powering flagship projects like the MOTHER app.
He said the state is using AI to map the 75,000 water springs in Meghalaya, in addition to real-time forest cover monitoring.
He disclosed that a Shillong-based engineer developed a critical module for global SAP S/4 HANA ERP migration (a $10-billion industry).
Sangma also stated that capturing just 10% market share could generate Rs 9,000 crore in business and thousands of jobs for Meghalaya’s youth.
Praising the Bhashini Hackathon in Khasi and Garo languages, the Chief Minister urged youth to become partners in building the state’s digital future.
Sudeep Shrivastava, Joint Secretary, Ministry of Electronics & IT, stated that the IndiaAI Mission, launched in 2024 with an outlay of Rs 10,371 crore, aims to build an inclusive and robust AI ecosystem aligned with India’s developmental priorities.
Shrivastava noted that Meghalaya was chosen to host the first Regional Summit due to its leadership in digital governance. He commended initiatives such as MeghEA, paperless proceedings in the Meghalaya Legislative Assembly, and the State’s e-District service delivery model.
He added that with 51% of Meghalaya’s population below 21 years of age, strong human resource capacity, favourable climatic conditions, and significant hydropower potential, the state is uniquely positioned to attract large investments in knowledge-based industries.
The programme commenced with technical sessions aligned with the objectives of the IndiaAI Mission. A series of initiatives and MoUs under the IndiaAI Mission were also launched, namely, Bhashini Hackathon for Khasi and Garo languages, Meghalaya Digital Ecosystem Enablement (MeghDEE), DRISHTI-NE Hackathon, in collaboration with IIM Shillong and MATH, MoU for setting up a Data & AI Lab with IndiaAI Mission and MoU for establishing a Satellite Incubation Centre with MATH T-Hub.
