SAGE University Bhopal Hosts National AI Summit on Building Future-Ready Human Capital

SAGE University Bhopal successfully organized a national-level summit titled “AI for India: Developing Future-Ready Human Capital for a Responsible and Inclusive AI Ecosystem”, bringing together eminent leaders from academia, government, and industry to deliberate on India’s AI-driven future. The hybrid-format summit witnessed an impressive participation of over 600 students, faculty members, researchers, and industry professionals.

The summit commenced with opening remarks by Dr. Shivganesh Bhargava, Vice Chancellor, SAGE University, Bhopal, who emphasized the university’s commitment to nurturing future-ready talent aligned with emerging technologies like Artificial Intelligence.

Delivering the first keynote address, Ms. Asmita Dhillon, Director, AICTE, highlighted the importance of integrating AI education into mainstream higher education and stressed the need for ethical, inclusive, and skill-based AI learning frameworks across institutions.

The second keynote address was delivered by Karan Khurana, CEO – ReBAT (SAGE Green Industries - SGI) and Managing Director, The SAGE Group, who shared insights on industry expectations, employability, and the critical role of academia–industry collaboration in developing a globally competitive AI workforce.

A high-impact panel discussion on “India’s AI Vision – Building Future-Ready Human Capital” featured distinguished experts including Dr. Hemant Ghyavat (Linnaeus University, Sweden), Dr. Mitul Kumar Ahirwal (MANIT Bhopal), Mr. Pramod K. Naik (Dayananda Sagar University), Mr. Rahul Shrivastava (Infotek Solutions), Mr. Manoj Tiwari (MAP-IT, Government of Madhya Pradesh), and Mr. Gautam Sharma (Salesforce, UK).

The panel discussed AI skill gaps, faculty upskilling, industry-aligned curricula, AI ethics, and the need for hands-on learning through labs, internships, and real-world projects.

The summit concluded with a Breakout Outcomes Session led by Dr. Pinaki Ghosh, Academic Coordinator, SAGE University Bhopal, where actionable recommendations were presented. These included the establishment of multilingual AI learning frameworks, industry-certified AI curricula, regional AI Centers of Excellence, and responsible AI governance standards.

The event resulted in the release of an Outcome & Recommendations Document, outlining a strategic roadmap for strengthening India’s AI education ecosystem. SAGE University expressed its intent to present these outcomes during the upcoming AI Impact Summit Week and collaborate with AICTE, IndiaAI, and MeitY for national-level implementation.

Speaking on the occasion, Dr. Gourav Shrivastava, Head – School of Computer Technology, SAGE University Bhopal, stated that the summit reaffirmed SAGE University’s vision of contributing meaningfully to India’s AI mission through research, innovation, capacity building, and inclusive education initiatives.

The summit received wide appreciation for its expert participation, thought-provoking discussions, and strong student engagement, positioning SAGE University Bhopal as a key contributor to India’s responsible and future-focused AI ecosystem.