Meghalaya: Regional AI Impact Conference 2025 Held in Shillong

The Regional Artificial Intelligence (AI) Impact Conference 2025 was organized in Shillong, the capital of Meghalaya. This conference is one of the major regional events leading up to the India AI Impact Summit 2026, scheduled for February 2026. The event was hosted in collaboration with the IndiaAI Mission, MeitY, and the Government of Meghalaya.

Objectives of the Conference:

• Assess the regional potential of AI
• Promote AI-based innovation in Northeast India
• Discuss AI applications in governance, education, health, agriculture, and skill development
• Prepare inputs for the upcoming India AI Impact Summit 2026

Key Highlights of the Conference:

Focus on PM’s ‘Democratization of Technology’ Vision

• Ashwini Vaishnaw, Union Minister for Electronics & IT, Information & Broadcasting, and Railways, addressed virtually:

“We are organizing regional AI Impact Conferences across the country. The Shillong conference is focused on People, Planet, Progress.”

• These three pillars are considered the core theme of the upcoming AI Impact Summit 2026.

Progress of IndiaAI Mission:

• Financial Allocation: ₹10,300 crore allocated over the last five years for AI mission initiatives.
• National AI Computing Infrastructure (Shared GPU Infrastructure):
  • Developed to ensure AI resources are accessible to all
  • Over 38,000 GPUs added so far – a major step in expanding AI capacity in India
• AI Labs Establishment:
  • Target to set up 570 AI and data labs nationwide
  • 30 labs inaugurated to date

AI Infrastructure in Meghalaya:

• NIELIT Shillong: Operational AI lab at the National Institute of Electronics & Information Technology (NIELIT)
• New AI Labs (Proposed/Under Construction):
  • ITI Shillong – Proposed
  • Shillong Polytechnic – Proposed
  • ITI Tura – Under construction
• These labs aim to strengthen the AI skilling ecosystem among youth in Northeast India

Goal of Training 1 Million People:

• The government aims to train 10 lakh individuals in AI skills
• Focus on defining future employment opportunities for youth
• Ensure AI technology reaches every part of the country

Participants in the Conference:

• Senior government officials
• Technology experts and industry leaders
• Startup founders
• Academics
• Researchers and innovators
• Discussions focused on leveraging AI as a transformative tool for society, economy, and governance

Significance of the Conference:

• Step toward establishing Northeast India as an AI Innovation Hub
• Promote digital inclusion
• Lay foundation for AI-enabled governance in states
• Provide regional inputs for India AI Impact Summit 2026
• Encourage AI skilling and entrepreneurship among youth