Building Inclusive Societies with AI

20 Feb 2026 11:00h - 12:00h

Building Inclusive Societies with AI

Session at a glanceSummary, keypoints, and speakers overview

Summary

The panel, comprising leaders from industry, development and government, convened to examine systemic obstacles facing India’s informal workforce and possible digital-enabled interventions [1-4][5-10][11-20][21-22]. Romal Shetty identified five recurring roadblocks: lack of discovery and trust, insufficient steady demand, delayed or unfair payment, inadequate upskilling, and limited access to social protection [26-31].


Arundhati Bhattacharya argued that a nationwide digital marketplace is essential to make workers’ credentials visible, match them with local opportunities, and provide verifiable upskilling certifications [34-37]. She stressed that payment delays plague even MSMEs and large corporates, and that only a digital platform can create an audit trail to enforce accountability [38-44]. She also warned that reports without a designated execution authority will remain ineffective, calling for a body that can implement and monitor recommendations [46-51].


Manisha Verma outlined Maharashtra’s newly created SEED department, which oversees more than a thousand ITIs, a state board for vocational accreditation, a public skills university, and a dedicated innovation society to foster skilling and inclusion of vulnerable groups such as prisoners, persons with disabilities and tribal communities [57-77]. She highlighted partnerships with industry, including PPP models that hand over ITI management to anchor firms, short-term evening courses, and collaborations such as Mahindra Tractors training that achieved 100 % placement in Garchiroli [274-285].


Aditya Natraj emphasized that the bottom quartile-over 200 million people, many women married before 18-remains disconnected from markets, with only 40 % of families having a member with six years of education, making productivity gains dependent on addressing these structural gaps [84-110][112]. He illustrated that simple equipment upgrades, like replacing stone-age bamboo tools, can dramatically improve product quality without high-tech solutions [129-135]. He further argued that aggregating blue-collar workers through models such as FabIndia, farmer cooperatives, or rating platforms is crucial for quality assurance and for leveraging government schemes like NRLM and SRLM [188-215].


Discussing behavioral barriers, Aditya described four user profiles among ASHA health workers-from non-phone users to tech-savvy youths-and stressed the need to tailor digitisation programmes to these distinct groups rather than applying a one-size-fits-all approach [306-322]. Across the discussion, participants concurred that digital platforms, government stewardship, and industry partnerships must be coordinated to create accountability, upskill workers, and unlock market access for the informal sector [34-37][57-77][120-136][274-285][188-215]. The panel concluded that a unified execution framework, supported by targeted technology and inclusive policies, is essential to transform India’s informal economy and realise its latent employment potential [46-51][324-328].


Keypoints


Major discussion points


Digital platforms are essential to solve the systemic road-blocks faced by informal workers (discovery, steady demand, timely payment, upskilling, and protection). Arundhati stresses that a “digital way” is the only viable solution for a populous nation, describing a marketplace for credentials, a verifiable up-skilling system, and a digital payment trail that creates accountability [34-44]. She also questions who will be responsible for executing the recommendations in the many reports that have been produced [46-51].


Government-led skilling, vocational education, and social-inclusion programmes form the backbone of the response. Manisha outlines the newly created Department of Skills, Employment, Entrepreneurship and Innovation, its oversight of 1,000+ ITIs, the state board for accreditation, the public State Skills University, and targeted programmes for prisoners, persons with disabilities, women and tribal communities [57-77]. She later adds a public-private partnership model that hands over ITI management to industry for curriculum design and apprenticeship [274-279].


Aggregating informal workers and standardising quality are critical for market access and productivity gains. Aditya explains that unlike the already-aggregated white-collar sector, blue-collar workers lack a mechanism for consumers to assess quality, and he describes several aggregation models (FabIndia-type, cooperative-type like Amul/Seva, and rating-platforms such as UrbanClap) that can improve incentives and enable technology deployment [188-204]. He further points to the National Rural Livelihood Mission (NRLM) and State-level equivalents as key aggregation vehicles [209-215].


Behavioural and adoption barriers must be addressed through differentiated, context-specific interventions. Using the example of ASHA health workers, Aditya shows that technology adoption varies across four age-and-skill cohorts, from workers with no phone experience to young, smartphone-savvy users, and argues that “one size fits all” programmes fail [295-322].


Tailored, persona-based solutions and strong multi-stakeholder coordination are needed to avoid generic, ineffective policies. Romal highlights that different worker personas (cultivators, artisans, textile workers, etc.) face distinct challenges, and Arundhati reinforces that “there cannot be a cookie-cutter solution” and that the government must enable an ecosystem that supports each vertical [115-118][120-126].


Overall purpose / goal of the discussion


The panel convened representatives from industry, the development sector, and government to diagnose the chronic challenges of India’s informal workforce, evaluate existing interventions, and chart concrete, accountable actions-particularly digital and skilling-focused strategies-that can be implemented over the next 12-18 months to boost productivity, inclusion, and livelihoods.


Overall tone and its evolution


– The conversation opens with a formal, optimistic tone, emphasizing the privilege of a diverse panel and the promise of collaborative solutions [1-4][22-24].


– It shifts to a critical, problem-focused tone as Arundhati highlights systemic failures (payment delays, lack of execution accountability) and calls for an authority to drive implementation [45-51].


– The discussion then becomes analytical and solution-oriented, with Manisha detailing concrete government programmes and Aditya dissecting aggregation models and behavioural hurdles [57-77][188-204][295-322].


– Towards the end, the tone turns reflective and hopeful, celebrating successful pilot initiatives, sharing inspiring anecdotes, and expressing confidence in multi-stakeholder effort [166-176][324-327].


Overall, the dialogue moves from introductory optimism, through candid critique, into constructive problem-solving, and concludes on an encouraging, forward-looking note.


Speakers

S. Anjani Kumar


Area of Expertise: Moderation / Panel facilitation


Role / Title: Moderator/Host (introduced the panel)


Manisha Verma


Area of Expertise: Government policy, skills development, social inclusion


Role / Title: Additional Chief Secretary, SEEID (Skills, Employment, Entrepreneurship, and Innovation), Maharashtra; IAS officer, 1993 batch [S2]


Arundhati Bhattacharya


Area of Expertise: Technology leadership, responsible AI, inclusive digital adoption


Role / Title: Chairperson and CEO, Salesforce India; former Chairperson, State Bank of India; Padma Shri awardee


Aditya Natraj


Area of Expertise: Education reform, community-led development, poverty alleviation


Role / Title: CEO, Pyramid Foundation; Founder, Kaivalya Education Foundation and Pyramid School of Leadership [S7]


Romal Shetty


Area of Expertise: Management consulting, workforce productivity, digital transformation


Role / Title: CEO, Deloitte South Asia; Moderator of the panel [S8]


Additional speakers:


None (all speaking participants are covered in the list above).


Full session reportComprehensive analysis and detailed insights

The session opened with S. Anjani Kumar introducing a short video on the informal sector before welcoming a three-pronged panel that represented industry, the development sector and government [1-4]. The first panelist was Ms Arundhati Bhattacharya, Chairperson and CEO of Salesforce India, a Padma Shri award-winner and recognised leader in responsible AI and public-private collaboration [5-10]. The development side was represented by Mr Aditya Natraj, CEO of the Pyramid Foundation and an Ashoka Fellow [11-16], while the government was represented by Ms Manisha Verma, Additional Chief Secretary of Maharashtra’s SEED department, a senior IAS officer with a record of drafting major social legislation [17-20]. The moderator, Romal Shetty, CEO of Deloitte South Asia, introduced the panel and framed each round of questioning [21-24].


Romal Shetty summarised the study’s findings, identifying five systemic roadblocks for informal workers: (1) limited discovery and trust, (2) insufficient and irregular demand, (3) delayed or unfair payments, (4) constrained upskilling opportunities, and (5) exclusion from social-protection schemes [26-31]. He asked the panel which of these issues should be prioritised over the next 12-18 months.


Arundhati Bhattacharya argued that, given India’s population size, a digital-first approach is the only viable solution [34-36]. She described a nationwide marketplace where workers could upload credentials, view local job opportunities and obtain verifiable upskilling certificates [34-37]. She noted that payment delays affect not only blue-collar workers but also MSMEs, large corporates and government agencies, and that a digital platform would create an immutable audit trail to enforce accountability [38-44]. Bhattacharya called for a clearly designated authority to own implementation of the platform, warning that without such accountability recommendations remain untracked [45-51].


Manisha Verma outlined Maharashtra’s newly created Department of Skills, Employment, Entrepreneurship and Innovation (SEED), which now oversees more than a thousand ITIs, a state board that accredits private training providers, and the public Ratan Tata State Skills University [57-66][72-73]. She highlighted short-term skilling programmes for vulnerable groups-including prisoners, persons with disabilities, women and tribal communities-to ensure social inclusion [74-77]. Verma also described a public-private partnership (PPP) policy that hands over ITI management, curriculum design and faculty recruitment to industry anchor partners for ten to twenty years, aligning with the national PM SETU scheme [274-279]. Additional initiatives include (a) opening ITI programmes to non-ITI students in the evenings to optimise infrastructure utilisation, and (b) a partnership with Mahindra Tractors in Garchiroli that delivered a certified training batch with 100 % placement for tribal students [240-270].


Aditya Natraj shifted the focus to the “bottom quartile” of India’s population, noting that over 200 million people remain in poverty, with 36 % of women in the eastern states marrying before the age of 18 and 40 % of poor families having no member with six years of schooling[84-110][112]. He argued that productivity gaps are rooted in structural exclusion rather than mere skill deficits, and that simple, low-tech interventions-such as replacing stone-age bamboo tools with modestly improved equipment-can dramatically raise product quality and marketability [129-135]. Natraj emphasized that any digital solution must first build on existing aggregation models (e.g., FabIndia, Amul/Seva, Urban Clap) to ensure quality assurance and create market incentives for technology deployment [188-215].


Both panelists highlighted the importance of aggregation, but Bhattacharya emphasized building a unified digital marketplace as the primary vehicle, whereas Natraj stressed that any digital solution must first leverage pre-existing aggregation mechanisms to guarantee quality and consumer confidence [34-37][188-209].


Regarding execution, Bhattacharya called for a clearly designated authority to own the platform’s implementation, while Verma described the government’s role as a catalyst that creates enabling policies (e.g., the PPP framework, PM SETU) and partners with industry for execution. Both agree on the need for strong execution, differing only on the preferred mechanism-centralised authority versus facilitative partnership [45-51][274-279].


Addressing behavioural barriers, Natraj presented a typology of ASHA health workers to illustrate technology-adoption diversity: (1) workers over 50 with no phone experience; (2) users of basic “dumb” phones; (3) smartphone owners who use devices only for entertainment; and (4) young, tech-savvy workers who already blend digital tools with income-generating activities [294-322]. He argued that one-size-fits-all digital programmes would miss three-quarters of the target audience, and that interventions must be tailored to each cohort’s skill level and comfort with technology [295-318].


Romal Shetty reinforced the need for persona-specific design, noting that cultivators, artisans, textile workers and migrant labourers each face distinct challenges such as volatility, market access, skill gaps and income insecurity [114-119]. Bhattacharya echoed this, stating that while fundamental issues like access, health and literacy must be addressed early, solutions should be vertical-specific and supported by government-enabled ecosystems [120-126].


Key takeaways


1. A digital platform is central to solving discovery, credential verification, demand matching and payment traceability, and must be complemented by sector-specific aggregation models.


2. Government agencies-exemplified by Maharashtra’s SEED department-must lead inclusive skill development, accreditation and programmes for vulnerable groups, while also acting as catalysts for PPP-driven execution.


3. Productivity gaps stem largely from the exclusion of the bottom quartile; targeted, gender-sensitive and tribal-focused interventions are required.


4. Technology should augment, not replace, informal workers; upskilling should be delivered via verifiable digital certifications.


5. Public-private partnerships and the startup ecosystem can drive socially impactful innovations and job creation.


6. Digital adoption must be segmented according to user cohorts, with tailored training for each ASHA typology.


7. An accountable execution authority-whether a dedicated government body or a facilitative partnership framework-is essential to move from recommendation to action [34-44][57-77][84-110][112-135][188-215][294-322][45-51].


Proposed actions include establishing a lead agency to implement the nationwide digital marketplace, scaling Maharashtra’s PPP model for ITI management, expanding the “Startup Week” and direct work-order awards to nurture socially-impactful ventures, leveraging NRLM/SRLM for systematic aggregation of blue-collar workers, and designing tiered digital-adoption training that addresses the four identified ASHA cohorts [45-51][274-279][188-215][294-322]. Unresolved issues remain around the precise governance and funding structure for the platform, safeguards to ensure AI augments rather than displaces workers, and metrics for measuring the impact of skilling programmes on the bottom quartile [45-51][274-279][188-215][294-322].


In closing, all participants reaffirmed that multi-stakeholder collaboration-bringing together industry, development organisations and government-is indispensable for transforming India’s informal economy. While consensus existed on the goals of digital inclusion, skill development and accountable execution, the discussion highlighted moderate differences on the preferred aggregation mechanism and the balance between government-led versus industry-led execution. The panel concluded on an optimistic note, expressing confidence that coordinated, sector-specific, and accountable interventions can unlock the latent employment potential of India’s informal sector [4][23-24][120-124][324-328].


Session transcriptComplete transcript of the session
S. Anjani Kumar

show a video which will give you context of what the informal sector is, what are some of the interventions that can be taken before I call the esteemed panel to have a discussion on the topic. So we are privileged to have a panel. We are privileged to have a panel today, which represents industry, the development sector, and the government. You know, all of the ecosystem has to come together to solve for this problem. So may I now invite my first panelist, Ms. Arundhati Bhattacharya, chairperson. And CEO, Salesforce India. Thank you. She is the recipient of the Padmashri, India’s fourth highest civilian award, and has frequently been featured on Forbes’ World’s 100 Most Powerful Women and Fortune’s World’s 50 Greatest Leaders list.

She is a strong advocate of responsible AI, inclusive technological adoption, and public -private collaboration for national growth. She is instrumental in expanding India’s digital economy while embedding ethics, governance, and sustainability into technology ecosystems. Thank you, ma ‘am, for joining us today. Representing the development sector, we have the pleasure of inviting Mr. Aditya Natraj, the CEO of Pyramid Foundation. He’s a prominent education reform leader and also the founder of Kaivalya Education Foundation and the Pyramid School of Leadership. He’s over 20. He has over 20 years of experience in the development sector, including a significant tenure with… driving volunteer -led literacy campaigns in rural India. He’s been recognized as an Ashoka Fellow, an Echoing Green Fellow, and Aspen India Fellow.

He’s also the recipient of Time’s Now Amazing Indian Award in Education. Thank you, Aditya, for joining us. On the government side, again, I’m privileged to request Ms. Manisha Verma, Additional Chief Secretary, SEEID, Maharashtra. She’s a 1993 batch IAS officer who has contributed to drafting transformative regulations in India, like the National Food Security Act, the Forest Rights Act, the National Food Rights of Persons with Disabilities, Right to Education, Magnera, and others. She’s been felicitated by the Honorable President, the Honorable Prime Minister, Niti Ayog, Honorable Governor, and Honorable Chief Minister for various initiatives, and is also a recipient of Maharashtra Foundation Award for Outstanding Policy. Thank you, ma ‘am, for joining us. And to kick us off, I’m delighted to welcome Romul Chetty, CEO of Deloitte South Asia, to

Romal Shetty

Thank you so much, Roy. Good afternoon, ladies and gentlemen, and always a privilege to have a wonderful panel here. So maybe I’ll kick off first with you, Arundhati, to start with. As you know, when we did our study, obviously you and Arundhati were significant contributors to that study. We’ve seen that the informal workforce basically faces about five really systemic roadblocks. One is being discovered and trusted. Second is getting some steady demand. Third is getting fair and timely payment. Then upskilling, that sort of translates into higher productivity. And, of course, accessing protections, insurance and others. So how do you use? How do you see these challenges playing out in the future? and what or which of it must be prioritized in the next 12 to 18 months?

Arundhati Bhattacharya

So given the fact that ours is a very populous nation, I don’t think we have a way other than a digital way of addressing these solutions. In the sense that you might have a worker, say a person who works as a plumber, who might be really, really good at his job and there might be very good opportunities in his village or in the village next to his, but he has no idea that it exists. So this lack of knowledge is not something that you can manage to do away with unless you have some kind of a marketplace where people can put in not only their credentials and their experience, but also be able to access the opportunities that are there for their kinds of jobs.

That’s one piece. The second piece is that unless and until we put all of… these people together we would also not understand what is the upskilling that is required for such people because more and more as days go by we are realizing that everything is changing all of the technology is changing and the change in technology is such that requires people to be further upskilled now how do you get that upskilling how do you ensure that you have a verifiable certification that you have gone through that upskilling again you have got to come back to the digital area third is regarding getting payment on time as you said this is something by the way which is a very big problem across India and it does not only impact your the blue -collar workers it impacts even the MSMEs and the SMEs and sadly enough I would say it is the big corporates that are the worst at this including the government means I cannot not include the government over there because getting payments on time in India is something that is not considered to be at all important It is one of the things that you do last.

You have to do it. So you do it at some point of time. And this is not something that speaks well for us as a country. It really adds to the difficulty in doing business because you’re not funding people the moment that they need to be funded in. And there has to be an accountability for all of this, which unless if you use a digital platform, there is no footprint. There is no footprint about the delays that are taking place unless you put a digital platform to this. So I think, you know, in the report that we put out together, and I think there were other people, especially your people, Deloitte people who did a lot of work on this, who actually suggested a platform where all of these things could be comprehensively addressed.

Now, I was just asking Romil before coming in over here that India is great at putting out fantastic reports. At the end of the reports, who is charged with the execution? Who is really accountable that if it doesn’t get executed, there is a downside to it? We have no such downsides. We have suggestions, we have reports, and then we don’t have a person who is charged with the execution. I think it’s time for all of us to understand that reports are great, suggestions are fantastic, but there has to be an authority that will take charge of this, will run with it, and be accountable for actually implementing it. Because there are some really, really good suggestions over there that need to be implemented.

Romal Shetty

Thank you, Arundhati, and you know why she was the SBI chairperson, because she’s got a strong mind of her own, and always willing to challenge the status quo, which I think in her own life, as well as of course in the various positions that she’s held. Thank you, Arundhati. So Manisha, a question to you now, and this is really about Maharashtra, and obviously, could you sort of share an overview of the work, the work that’s being undertaken by your department? for the benefit of all the delegates here. And how is it working towards enhancing human capital and social inclusion?

Manisha Verma

So first of all, thank you so much for having me here. I’m looking forward for a great dialogue with this esteemed panel members as well as all of you. I head the Department of Skills, Employment, Entrepreneurship, and Innovation. Innovation, that is why it is written SEED, so it’s not a very common kind of a department. This is a newly constituted department in Maharashtra. And to put it simply, it is overseeing the entire vocational education spectrum. So there is a thousand plus institutes, ITIs, government, and private, which are the cutting edge. You know, they are the cradle of creating skilled workforce for the industries, manufacturing, and service sector, but mainly the manufacturing. And so all the ITIs are under the department oversight.

But we are also looking at short term skilling programs through our Maharashtra State Skilling Society. So all the government of India programs and the state budget resources for skilling. Then we have a state board of vocational education and training. So if you are a private provider of skill training, then the accreditation and recognition of the courses is done by our state board. And affiliation is also given because today you know that there is a lot of duping of people, ordinary people. There is no information as to whether the courses which are given in the market are actually accredited or have a value. So this body does the independent assessment of the training institutes and gives affiliation and recognition.

And then to complete the spectrum of because you know that the students from, ITIs or from people who are doing vocational education, they might have aspirations. for higher education and independently also. So we recently set up a public state skills university, Ratan Tata State Skills University in Maharashtra. So that is also doing pretty well now, I mean, in its infant stages. And then we have a Maharashtra State Innovation Society, which is under my department, which is looking at promotion of startups and incubators. So this is a whole spectrum of the work that we are doing. But not to miss out the vulnerable groups for social inclusion, we are also partnering with agencies to do skilling for jail inmates, prisoners in jail, people with disabilities, women, tribal areas and all.

So that in brief is the work that we are doing. Thank you.

Romal Shetty

Thank you, Manisha. Aditya, one of our core insights from our study was that we are working with the government that productivity gaps often come from… sort of inefficient workflows and tooling deficit rather than any work effort. So as we look to increase productivity 10x to really realize Vixit Bharat aspirations, what guardrails do you think should be in place so that technology augments workers, improves their safety and earnings, and does not really replace them altogether?

Aditya Natraj

Yeah. So thank you very much for having me on this panel. It was great fun to be part of the committee at Niti Ayog as well, which put this together. Thanks to Deloitte’s efforts. I think when we’re talking about this informal labor force, we’re all imagining this electrician who’s coming to our house, right? And so we’re imagining an upgrade of that. We at the Pyramal Foundation are working with the bottom quartile of India. Largely the top quartile is sitting in this room and driving the growth. The next quartile sort of supports that growth by being drivers, electricians, plumbers. The next quartile is just about surviving. And the fourth quartile, honestly, first of all, you have to tune into to even understand how badly off there are.

There are still, as per official statistics, over 200 million people in India in poverty, right? So the areas where we focus, which are the five eastern states, for example, I mean, so when you’re talking about productivity deficit, just I’ll give you a few statistics, right, because we’re imagining this is a plumber who’s coming into my house and how do I increase this thing? But what about the women? 50 % of India is women, right? And the states where we work with Jharkhand, Assam, Chhattisgarh, Orissa, Bihar, these states, today, the number is at 36 % of women getting married below the age of 18. What is going to be my productivity gap? I got married before the age of 18. My productivity is measured by how fast I produce the first child and the second child.

And all my energy is going into just taking care of children. What is AI going to do for this girl who, by the age of 20, has two children and at home? What is it going to do for the tribal? I’m going to be able to do it for the next 10 years. who’s still in the Dandakaranya forest in South Chhattisgarh. So that group of people has lower growth rate than the median of India. As it is, they were lower and they have lower growth rate. So really increasing productivity for that group, I think, is going to be key because it’s not about taking the top quartile to $29 ,000, right? That is going to happen or it’s going to happen because there are automatic mechanisms in place in the market to incentivize that productivity gain.

The bottom quartile is not yet plugged into the market, right? These are the 70 million people who are in poverty in these five states. Out of them, the statistic is not having 40 % of those families don’t have even one person who has had six years of education in the family. Six years, we’re not talking about 10th standard. So a lot of our programs are designed on, okay, 10th standard, after that you’re going to do ITI, you’re going to do this thing. So this bottom quartile really needs, I think productivity gains are going to come by us unknowingly. Understanding why the bottom quartile… is not involved in the market and what do we need to do three times, four times as hard so that they’re not pulling the median of India down.

Romal Shetty

I mean, and, you know, as consultants, when we look at these reports, and I can tell you from the NITI one was, I think these kind of inputs, because it’s very easy sometimes just to be far off and sort of give recommendation, but when you realize the nitty -gritties as well, well, I think you realize that there have to be different solutions, and I think this report was where really different sets of people came together to contribute. Arundhati, back to you in terms of, you know, we created this persona -led, you know, the carpenter, the, you know, the cultivator, and we chose this because challenges differ, right? So cultivators face sort of volatility and information gaps.

Artisan face sort of market access. Middlemen, dependents. Textile workers face skills and technology gaps, and trade workers, of course, face income insecurity. Migration, of course, pressure. as well. So how do you balance a centralized approach while ensuring each person’s unique challenge are solved for?

Arundhati Bhattacharya

So basically again you know there cannot be a cookie cutter solution to all of this because the persuasions are so different the challenges are so different you necessarily need to solve for people in different ways. There are certain fundamental issues that bother all of these whether it’s an issue of access, issue of health issue of you know basic understanding and literacy these are all basic issues that need to get fixed at a very low level in the sense at a very early level in their lives. But if you are looking beyond that and if you are looking at vertical wise the different kinds of people and the different ecosystems that they work for you necessarily will have to come up with different solutions and again here I think this is where the stakeholder which is the major stakeholder, which is the government, the government has a role to play.

Because it is the government that is going to enable the ecosystem to help these people to grow. For them to grow on their own, like was being said by him, the upper quartile people can help themselves. The people who are absolutely at the lower quartile, they actually need help. And I remember one incident where, you know, we used to run this Youth for India program in State Bank of India. Where we had people taking a gap year, coming and serving in the villages. Now one such guy was serving in one of these villages of Dang tribals, who work with bamboo. And he discovered that the equipments that they were working the bamboo with were basically stone age equipments.

Literally stone age equipments. Now just by changing the nature of the equipments that they were working with, and again nothing very fancy. Nothing with technology or AI. And they were working with bamboo. But just changing those equipments improved the quality of the product so much that it had a much better purchase in the market. So, you know, solutions may be something that’s very simple, but it is something that has to be innovated there by actually getting knowledge of what really is holding them back. So I think, again, this is something that needs a lot of work and it needs a lot of work by people at that place, which, again, has to be partly the government.

Romal Shetty

And in fact, the platform that the committee recommended in some sense was to also help to Uberize, to create demand, to also build skills also. So as simple as long as you have a simple phone, you could actually use it. So I think that was actually done as well. So, Manisha, coming to the sort of the startup ecosystem and, you know, and obviously Maharashtra has been doing phenomenally well in the startup ecosystem. So could you share how you’re driving societal impact through this startup? Ecosystem.

Manisha Verma

I think honestly startup ecosystem is something that is organically grown and government should not be taken too much credit. I was just sharing with Arundhati ji before and we were entering that, you know, some things are on autopilot and government should just catalyze or facilitate and not obstruct the growth, I think that is. But nevertheless, I would like to say that we have been trying from the Maharashtra government side to really kind of catalyze this ecosystem which is there in Maharashtra. You know, Maharashtra has 35 ,000, nearly 35 ,000 startups currently registered by DPIIT and it is the leading state. And some of the things that we have been doing actually is to create this, get this culture penetrated across the state.

Initially, we saw that their startups were primarily centered around Mumbai because of the ecosystem and Pune. But today, I’m happy to share that every district in Maharashtra, including Garchiroli, has minimum of 25 startups registered. So can you imagine that? So we’ve tried to do it through multiple ways, like having hackathons, grant challenges, startup yatras, involving the college students. And the rural areas as much, creating district level committees, you know, led by collector, but having an entire ecosystem of stakeholders, including principals, ITIs, the district industries officers, the MSME clusters. Then we also give some support of financial because not all startups are capable of prototyping and then, you know, getting the quality testing done. So we’ve done that.

We do some reimbursement for IPR. for domestic patents or, you know, international patents. We are helping them to obtain quality testing and certification. But a very unique experiment that we have done, I think, and which we can, you know, take genuine credit of, is our very unique program called Startup Week. We invite startups from across the country. We get nearly close to 3 ,000 entries every year. And they are shortlisted by an independent jury of domain experts, VCs. And then we have their pitching done before second round of independent jury. Now, these are not startups. You know, we are looking at startups and their technologies and innovations, which have a large social impact. So just to give you an example, the sectors are actually clean energy, mobility, agriculture, health, education.

And FinTech, these are the kind of… sector. So I’m happy to share some examples like there was a startup and then we give them as awards, direct work orders up to 25 lakhs. In recently, we have entries from 15 to 25. So otherwise, startups are stuck for procurement policies of the government. They are not able to compete with the tender systems that are there. So we give them a direct work orders as winning price. And then we connect them with the domain departments to rule out their innovations. And that has been very helpful for our startups to gain visibility and even gain international markets and investors. So some of our startups have really grown up like this Sagar Defense.

Now today, it’s called Sagar Defense. We started with their, you know, now today, their technology has been upgraded for marine surveillance and Indian Navy, has also placed orders and they’ve created a manufacturing plant near NASIG. We have new docs recently. It was our winner from IIT and other people who have created a very beautiful home diagnostic app. On phone you can have more than 30 health parameters at a very low cost. We have which has done the entire thing of menstrual hygiene management and disposal of sanitary pads in a sustainable way. We did their pilots in Mantralay itself to do the, you know, see the proof of concept and give them the work order. So we have, I think it is new motors.

I remember very interesting for physically challenged people that their wheelchair converts into a battery operated two wheeler. disabled person. So I can cite a lot of examples and I would say even in the areas of agriculture and clean energy. So these are kind of some efforts that we have been doing and hopefully we’ll take it to the next level with the help of such experts.

Romal Shetty

I think it’s fantastic work and on a lighter note, of course, Manisha ji, we also struggle on the tender side. So maybe So Aditya, I mean from your experiences, where do digital or sort of AI led interventions for the informal force sort of break down and what are some of the learnings from the past? Like you said, you bucketed into the four categories as well.

Aditya Natraj

So we’ve done a lot of digitization work. In fact, we’ve showcased it even at the expo and we work with with the government to digitize government health systems, digitize government education systems, agri, water, any space digitization normally adds value. But here when we are talking about the informal labor force, I think we have to look at the mental model here. When we are talking about white collar workers, right, like Deloitte or a lawyer firm, they got aggregated more than 40, 50 years ago. If you went back 100 years ago, you had an individual chartered accountant, an individual lawyer, an individual banker, or an individual consultant. Now you have firms. Now as soon as you’ve aggregated, you get lots of benefits because you get specialization, and then you can reintegrate to offer a more complex service.

Or you get more skill capability growth for each person. You can get quality standards. The customer knows what he’s buying. So in the white collar workforce, this has already happened. In the blue collar workforce, on the other hand, tell me where you will go for quality of election. electrician right you’ll end up asking your neighbors what about a carpenter tailor we’ve not yet organized the blue collar workforce in a way in which the customer can choose quality predictably right as an urban consumer i will face more than 80 brands a day even my salt is branded it’s catch you walk into a village today nothing is branded right so the need to aggregate is very critical to improve quality of service and this is what we tried with our farmer produce organizations and how they could improve but if you see there are multiple models for this aggregation right you can have the fab india type model right the fab india’s and the uh type model where it’s a private sector fab india high design high designs help the entire supply chain in leather fab india helped in the entire textile supply chain right you can go in that private sector type model The second model is that you can actually go in the Amul and the Seva model, which the firm itself is owned by the farmers.

Today, when I buy Amul milk, 90 % of what I pay goes back to the farmer. When you buy Nestle milk, it doesn’t go back to the farmer. So when you buy Seva, when you buy Lijat Papad, 90 % is going back to the last person because it’s organized as a cooperative. And the third is then you’ve got the Urban Clap model, which is saying, OK, I will certify the person and he’s got a 4 .5 rating. So therefore, you choose him. You choose this physiotherapist. You choose this carpenter. You choose this plumber. All these are aggregating in different ways and distributing incentives in different ways. I think unless we think of but for the artisan who’s 45 years old and doing a traditional Kalamkari, you’re expecting that someone’s going to come and choose this particular piece without having branded that as a whole.

I think actually his productivity is quite high. The problem is his realizations are not that high. What he’s able to realize from the market. It is not as great as the actual craft. his actual understanding of where the design market is going in Paris or in New York or in Delhi is not as high in order to adapt his design. And so the constraints, I think, is about aggregation of these workers, which I think the government’s main program of NRLM, the National Rural Livelihood Mission, and the SRLM, which is, of course, very, very powerful in Maharashtra, Bihar, I think is extremely critical for aggregating workers at various levels in order that then you can improve quality, deploy technology, create incentives, create a common expectation of quality.

Because otherwise, as a consumer, I’m not going to be willing to pay unless I’m sure of a certain quality level.

Romal Shetty

So I have a last question to each of you for what I request is maybe just a minute or two, a quick one. So Arutati, as part of the study, if you remember, we met about 70 personas. We met 70, we had 70 stories, we had 70 different aspirations. but they all represent a 490 million workforce, 90 % of the country’s workforce. These are numbers, I believe, but I believe the stories matter actually more. And as a reflection, if you could share a persona which stuck with you the most during our exercise.

Arundhati Bhattacharya

the mountains, you have the seas, you have culture, you have temples, you have old structures, like you ask for it and it is there. And yet this is one sector where we really haven’t done well. And it’s very difficult to understand why. People in countries with far, far less are doing much, much better. And this also is a very labor -intensive sector. We talk about people not having enough jobs. And why not? Because this is a sector that can provide a lot of jobs. There are so many wonders in this country which we ourselves as Indians have not witnessed. And this, I think, is something that the government needs to take up on a really urgent footing because not everything is going to happen from the private side.

But, of course, the private sector coming in over here in full force, along with the government, should actually mean a great deal to us. because this is also not going to be something that is not going to give us foreign exchange. It will give us foreign exchange. It will give us enough amount of employment. And more than anything else, I think it will showcase what India is all about, which I think is very important. So if you ask me, that was one place that I thought we could do a separate study just on that to see whether we could do something more for that particular segment. And I can tell you she was as passionate then also.

I remember this discussion as well specifically, but it is a fact that hospitality, tourism actually is a force multiplier because it also impacts so many industries, right?

Romal Shetty

So Manisha, in terms of industry partnerships, so really when it comes to employment, an important ally is industry partnership. What special efforts are there to sort of deepen collaboration between industry and the government for societal impact? A quick question.

Manisha Verma

Okay, before I go to industry, I just quickly wanted to respond because I remember I was a few years ago tribal department secretary and we used to have a small fund called Nucleus Budget Fund, which was untied. We could do some locally contextualized responses. So I do remember one of my department officers saying, ma ‘am, I want to build homestays in tribal areas. And beyond Nasik, there’s Bhandardhara Falls area and there is fireflies. There is a cluster of tribal villages which have got these fireflies before the monsoon sets in. It’s a beautiful site. I would ask some of you to explore if you haven’t. And then he so I couldn’t I funded that time’s few homestays, which was just one lakh rupee for villages.

I would ask some of you to explore if you haven’t. And then he so I couldn’t I funded that time’s few homestays, which was just one lakh rupee for villages. I would ask some of you to explore if you haven’t. And then he so I couldn’t I funded that time’s few homestays, which was just one lakh rupee for villages. I would ask some of you to explore if you haven’t. And then he so I couldn’t I funded that time’s few homestays, which was just one lakh rupee for villages. I would ask some of you to explore if you haven’t. And then he so I couldn’t I funded that time’s few homestays, which was just one lakh rupee for villages.

iron furniture, one bed and mattress and something. They couldn’t even afford that because they were all small marginal farmers. And I forgot about it. And I did it out of the way because there was no such scheme but I designed it for them because I trusted my officer that he will use it well. And then he said, Ma ‘am, you come. They are doing good business. And three years ago, I had left the department few years ago and I traveled to Bhandardhara area to catch this fireflies. And he said, Ma ‘am, they are reminding you to come to their house and eat. So around from 11 at night till 2 in the morning, I was looking at that tract of fireflies and then I visited that village Hamlet.

She cooked that Jowari, Bhagri and everything. And she was so happy to share with me the lady of the house. Ma ‘am, this is the room. We will take our food. We will give our food to the Maharashtrians. You are giving authentic Maharashtra food. and a lot of people come and stay in my room. So one example, I just got some warm remembrance. And I’m sure there are so many efforts that are happening, but as ma ‘am was saying, we have so much to do in terms of aggregation, a systematic kind of approach to kind of tap the potential of tourism as well as our rich culture and diversity that we have. Coming quickly to industry, we’ve created industry as a major role because we keep talking about industry -aligned courses, matchmaking for the job seeker and job provider, but it is our industries which are the job providers, whether it is small -scale industries, MSMEs, or they are big industry associations or service sector.

So what we have done is actually to modernize curriculum of research. One of our ideas we have started, we have created a PPP policy. public -private partnership in which we are ensuring that if an industry -led anchor partner is there, we will give our ITI management to the industry for 10 years or 20 years. And we will give them freedom to design curriculum, to have expert faculty, and even converge our resources. This is something that Maharashtra did before. Therefore, recently, Government of India has also announced PM Setu scheme, which is akin to this kind of concept of developing ITIs along with industry partnership. But on a regular basis also, we are trying to tap industry expertise for OGT on the job training, apprenticeship programs, you know, advising our institutions, academic institutions.

Another good example, I would just like… to share because it’s a recent one. We have introduced short -term training courses and opened the ITI to non -ITI students in the evening. for optimal utilization. So in the evenings and on, we can have short -term skilling programs. We are looking for partnerships. One good partnership we have done is with Mahindra Tractors in Garchiroli for tribal students again. And we’ve done the first batch of certification in Mahindra Tractors technology and with 100 % placement in Garchiroli. So some

Romal Shetty

Thank you, Manisha.

Manisha Verma

But one line, this is not enough. We really need industry to engage very deeply. There are structural kind of issues, but we are really open to partnerships, but I think industry needs to come forward.

Romal Shetty

Aditya, final question to you. Of course, the Pyramid Foundation has developed, really deep experience in community -led development. mile governance and of course behavioral change. In your view, what behavioral change levers are the most critical to sort of unlock adoption and also trust amongst the informal workers?

Aditya Natraj

You’re asking a question which we spend all our time on and I’m going to try and summarize it in two minutes. Let me give you an example of a very basic technology, right? The government of India has a huge national digitization program for healthcare workers. There are over a million ASHA workers in India who are the last mile delivery for all health services. And ASHA workers still in many states has a manual register in which she fills up the pregnancies. She has 54 different things to track. She has a separate register for pregnancies, separate register for TB, separate register for nutrition, separate register for adolescence. In most states, that was not yet. Now you would imagine, come on, that’s like the easiest thing to automate, right?

Because. It’s a tool. She goes to each home. There’s a geo -tagging, and then you have the database, and then you fill up what’s the latest problem so that her surveys are more efficient. Bihar alone, and we went into Bihar to try to digitize this, and Bihar alone has over 100 ,000 ASHA workers, right? And we thought, hey, this will be done in three months because we had the technology. The point is that technology adoption is a separate skill from the technology, right? And when you think of technology adoption, again, we’re thinking of the white -collar person in this room. When we saw the people who had to adopt this, we saw that they were in four categories.

Category one is people who are over 50, okay, and have never used any technology. She’s not even used a dumb phone. Now, suddenly, you’re asking her on the smartphone to collect her wage. She’s saying, bitya ko dedo, bo kar degi. Okay? So we have to remember that there are people. People are 50 to 75, and they’re in the government workforce as ASHA workers, right? So there’s people who don’t even have dumb phone. That’s about a quarter. the second quartile is people who still have a dumb phone and not a smartphone so they use it for call call ke labar not even sms use it for call and you use it for emergency you’re not using it for work you’re not used to how will you use it for work when i press here what happens where does it go how does that data come back here who’s looking at it these are all the questions going in their mind because of which they say so there is a huge fear of this technology adoption then there’s a third quartile which has smartphones but is not used to using it for business right that is used for you know my sun watches youtube i have prime video all those sort of things but using it for business my business means whatever work i’m doing you know i’m using it for business you’re not used to because and then the top one is typically younger people who are you know young asha workers from 25 to 35 who have a smartphone who are going out who are also selling something on the side also running some site business, they are really smart.

So the adoption depends on the profile of the workers inside and how far they have adopted. And typically we design one size fits all type programs. And there’s a group of people who already knew how to do it. And there’s a group of people who’s never going to do it. And I think this is very critical to really imagine that there is not one India, there are at least four Indias on any dimension. And to first understand that, and then tailor our programs to that, I think all adoption can happen.

Romal Shetty

Yeah, thank you. I think this is I mean, you can see the wealth of experience, the depth of knowledge, and the willingness to work you can clearly see from industry, from the development sector, from the government. So I think sometimes we feel a bit disheartened of, you know, but whenever we hear stories, and if we see leaders like this, you know that, you know, India is in good hands. So thank you, everyone for such a wonderful panel. Thank you for your time. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you.

Related ResourcesKnowledge base sources related to the discussion topics (26)
Factual NotesClaims verified against the Diplo knowledge base (5)
Confirmedhigh

“Aditya Natraj highlighted that over 200 million people remain in poverty in India.”

The knowledge base states that more than 200 million people are living in poverty in India, confirming Natraj’s figure [S1].

Confirmedhigh

“Around 80 % of the female workforce in India operates within the informal sector.”

S17 reports that approximately 80 % of women in India work in the informal sector, confirming the claim.

Additional Contextmedium

“Arundhati Bhattacharya is a recognized leader in responsible AI and public‑private collaboration.”

S4 lists Bhattacharya as a panelist in an AI summit, providing context for her involvement in responsible AI and multi‑stakeholder discussions.

Additional Contextmedium

“Digital platforms can link worker credentials, job opportunities and upskilling certificates, creating an immutable audit trail for payments.”

S83 describes public employment services that link databases on jobseekers and vacancies, illustrating how digital infrastructure can enable comprehensive data trails and improve matching.

Additional Contextmedium

“Upskilling opportunities for informal workers are constrained and under‑developed.”

S84 notes that investment in re‑ and upskilling remains under‑developed, adding nuance to the claim about limited upskilling opportunities.

External Sources (84)
S1
Building Inclusive Societies with AI — -S. Anjani Kumar: Role/title not explicitly mentioned in the transcript, appears to be moderating or introducing the pan…
S2
Building Inclusive Societies with AI — -Manisha Verma: Additional Chief Secretary, SEEID (Skills, Employment, Entrepreneurship, and Innovation Department), Mah…
S3
https://dig.watch/event/india-ai-impact-summit-2026/building-inclusive-societies-with-ai — He’s also the recipient of Time’s Now Amazing Indian Award in Education. Thank you, Aditya, for joining us. On the gover…
S4
Building Trusted AI at Scale Cities Startups &amp; Digital Sovereignty – Panel Discussion Moderator Amitabh Kant NITI — <strong>Moderator:</strong> With a big round of applause, kindly welcome the panelists of this last panel of AI Impact S…
S5
S6
https://dig.watch/event/india-ai-impact-summit-2026/building-inclusive-societies-with-ai — She is a strong advocate of responsible AI, inclusive technological adoption, and public -private collaboration for nati…
S7
Building Inclusive Societies with AI — – Aditya Natraj- Manisha Verma – Arundhati Bhattacharya- Aditya Natraj
S8
Building Inclusive Societies with AI — -Romal Shetty: CEO of Deloitte South Asia, moderating the panel discussion This panel discussion, moderated by Romal Sh…
S10
Multistakeholder Partnerships for Thriving AI Ecosystems — Dr. Bärbel Koffler emphasized that governments must create frameworks and governance structures to ensure AI benefits ar…
S11
Assessing the Promise and Efficacy of Digital Health Tool | IGF 2023 WS #83 — Capacity building in digital health was identified as a significant ongoing challenge in the healthcare sector. The need…
S12
Digital Entrepreneurship September 2018 — Ultimately, entrepreneurs must do the hard work of building profitable business models. Yet governments can help by doin…
S13
Bridging the Digital Skills Gap: Strategies for Reskilling and Upskilling in a Changing World — Training programs extend to rural areas, indigenous communities, to women and youth through community innovation centers…
S14
Open Forum #5 Bridging digital divide for Inclusive Growth Under the GDC — Minister Michel emphasizes the importance of incorporating digital skills into educational systems and professional trai…
S15
Securing access to financing to digital startups and fast growing small businesses in developing countries ( MFUG Innovation Partners) — In conclusion, Yamanaka’s perspective sheds light on the intersection of startups, development agencies, governments, an…
S16
Open Forum #76 Digital for Development: UN in Action — There is a need for greater accountability from platforms in enforcing their own terms of service and protecting users f…
S17
Addressing the gender divide in the e-commerce marketplace – a policy playbook for the global South (IT for Change) — In India, around 80% of the female workforce operates within the informal sector. These informal workers face numerous c…
S18
AI-Powered Chips and Skills Shaping Indias Next-Gen Workforce — Professor Chandorkar described IISc’s role, operating one of the world’s top academic fabrication facilities and develop…
S19
Why science metters in global AI governance — “But if your potential or probable outcome is the end of jobs, then you need to think about universal basicism.”[113]. “…
S20
Host Country Open Stage — Context-specific solutions are essential rather than one-size-fits-all approaches
S21
WS #162 Overregulation: Balance Policy and Innovation in Technology — Key issues addressed included the role of AI in combating child sexual abuse material (CSAM), the importance of human ri…
S22
Inclusive AI For A Better World, Through Cross-Cultural And Multi-Generational Dialogue — Factors such as restricted access to computing resources and data further impede policy efficacy. Nevertheless, the cont…
S23
Digital Cooperation and Empowerment: Insights and Best Practices for Strengthening Multistakeholder and Inclusive Participation — Twenty years ago there was an assumption that the private sector would solve access issues in remote areas, but now it’s…
S24
Briefing on the Global Digital Compact- GDC (UNCTAD) — In today’s age of digital interdependence, the multi-stakeholder approach is seen as more relevant than ever. Switzerlan…
S25
Building Inclusive Societies with AI — This comment introduced a new conceptual framework that helped explain multiple challenges facing informal workers. It s…
S26
Young voices from Africa – Harnessing digital tools for sustainable trade — Furthermore, the analysis criticizes the government’s hasty approach to formalizing the informal sector through counterp…
S27
Addressing the gender divide in the e-commerce marketplace – a policy playbook for the global South (IT for Change) — In India, around 80% of the female workforce operates within the informal sector. These informal workers face numerous c…
S28
Global Digital Compact topics: How were they tackled in previous policy documents? — Countries are still in early stages of learning how to use digital tools in education and how to prepare students for di…
S29
Launch of the eTrade Readiness Assessment of Ghana (UNCTAD) — In conclusion, access to verifiable data is crucial for e-commerce startups in Ghana to secure finance. Ghana’s position…
S30
The Impact of Digitalisation and AI on Employment Quality – Challenges and Opportunities — 4. **Skilling and Lifelong Learning**: – The ILO underscores the necessity of lifelong learning strategies to prepare…
S31
Europe’s rush to innovate — To achieve progress, public-private partnerships are considered essential. The collaboration between the public and priv…
S32
Joint Inspection Unit — The issue of e-learning platforms was extensively addressed for the first time at the UN system-wide level in a report e…
S33
Digital Public Infrastructure, Policy Harmonization, and Digital Cooperation — The level of disagreement among speakers is relatively low. Most differences stem from varying levels of progress and di…
S34
A digital public infrastructure strategy for sustainable development – Exploring effective possibilities for regional cooperation (University of Western Australia) — In conclusion, DPI is a critical building block for the digital economy and plays a significant role in achieving the SD…
S35
The digital economy and enviromental sustainability — Building alternative public platforms is suggested to aid in regulation and encourage compliance in the private sector. …
S36
Redrawing the Geography of Jobs / Davos 2025 — Reskilling and upskilling workers is essential to adapt to changing job markets and technological advances
S37
Main Session 1: Global Access, Global Progress: Managing the Challenges of Global Digital Adoption — Example of the ‘Contrate quem luta’ (Hire who fights) platform in Brazil, which connects homeless workers to job opportu…
S38
Shaping the Future: Harnessing E-commerce for Sustainable Development in the ECOWAS Region (ECOWAS) — A government’s role is to provide a conducive policy environment that encourages growth rather than stiflement.
S39
Rewriting Development / Davos 2025 — Boitumelo Mosako: Thank you, and for the opportunity to be on this panel with esteemed panelists. At the Development B…
S40
AI Meets Agriculture Building Food Security and Climate Resilien — And that’s truly right. evolutionarily empowering for farmers. But, you know, to make that work for farmers, there’s a l…
S41
Contents — Other observers felt there was good alignment in the past but that ‘it’s drifting away’ and new alignment is needed now….
S42
Open Forum #9 Digital Technology Empowers Green and Low-carbon Development — The level of consensus among the speakers was relatively high, particularly on the overarching themes of leveraging digi…
S43
Host Country Open Stage — High level of consensus on fundamental principles despite working in different domains. This suggests emerging best prac…
S44
WS #65 Gender Prioritization through Responsible Digital Governance — 4. Community Networks and Locally-driven Solutions Speaker 2: the great panelists who have gone before me. I think a l…
S45
DIGITAL DIVIDENDS — Sources: World Governance Indicators (World Bank, various years) and WDR 2016 team. Data at http://bit.do/WDR2016-Fig5\_…
S46
High-Level sessions: Setting the Scene – Global Supply Chain Challenges and Solutions — Initiatives by UNIDO and potential changes to financial structures reflect the international community’s acknowledgment …
S47
Emerging Markets: Resilience, Innovation, and the Future of Global Development — Economic | Legal and regulatory My response to this one, governments and sovereign nations have their own self-interest…
S48
Business Engagement Session: Sustainable Leadership in the Digital Age – Shaping the Future of Business — Laltaika suggests that members of Parliament and government officials should have attended the session to learn from the…
S49
World Economic Forum® — The perceived inability of governments to respond to major global challenges – from climate change and internet governan…
S50
WS #98 Towards a global, risk-adaptive AI governance framework — Sector-specific and use case-specific governance may be needed rather than one-size-fits-all approaches
S51
Building Inclusive Societies with AI — Aditya Natraj provided crucial perspective on India’s bottom quartile, pointing out that over 200 million people remain …
S52
Bridging the Digital Skills Gap: Strategies for Reskilling and Upskilling in a Changing World — This broadened the scope of discussion beyond traditional tech jobs and influenced later speakers to address rural commu…
S53
Competition law and regulations for digital markets: What are the best policy options for developing countries? (UNCTAD) — Brazil is currently discussing extensive regulation for digital markets, drawing inspiration from the European Union Dig…
S54
https://dig.watch/event/india-ai-impact-summit-2026/building-inclusive-societies-with-ai — But we are also looking at short term skilling programs through our Maharashtra State Skilling Society. So all the gover…
S55
WSIS Action Lines C4 and C7:E-employment: Emerging technologies in the world of work: Addressing challenges through digital skills — Anupama Shekhar: Dr. Anupama Shekhar, Dr. Dorothea Schmidt-Klau, Ms. Anupama Shekhar, Dr. Dorothea Schmidt-Klau, Dr. Dor…
S56
Building Trusted AI at Scale Cities Startups &amp; Digital Sovereignty – Panel Discussion Moderator Amitabh Kant NITI — References a NEETI report studying blue-collar workers including carpenters, plumbers, hospitality workers, and Anganwad…
S57
Host Country Open Stage — Context-specific solutions are essential rather than one-size-fits-all approaches
S58
Responsible AI in India Leadership Ethics &amp; Global Impact — “One size doesn’t fit all”[111]. “See, it is a very diverse element and there is a different kind of templates which we …
S59
Bridging the Digital Divide: Advancing Inclusion in Africa with Affordable Devices (Carnegie Endowment for International Peace) — In conclusion, Africa faces several challenges in the digital age. Low levels of smartphone adoption, the existence of a…
S60
Digital Cooperation and Empowerment: Insights and Best Practices for Strengthening Multistakeholder and Inclusive Participation — Addressing Access Divides Development | Economic Twenty years ago there was an assumption that the private sector woul…
S61
AI and Data Driving India’s Energy Transformation for Climate Solutions — The emphasis on moving from pilots to permanent solutions reflects a broader maturation in the climate-tech space, where…
S62
Summit Opening Session — The tone throughout is consistently formal, diplomatic, and collaborative. Speakers maintain an optimistic and forward-l…
S63
Opening — The overall tone was formal yet optimistic. Speakers acknowledged the serious challenges posed by rapid technological ch…
S64
Dynamic Coalition Collaborative Session — The discussion began with an optimistic, collaborative tone as panelists shared their expertise and perspectives. Howeve…
S65
Comprehensive Report: “Converging with Technology to Win” Panel Discussion — The discussion began with an optimistic, exploratory tone as panelists shared different models and success stories. The …
S66
Emerging Markets: Resilience, Innovation, and the Future of Global Development — The tone was notably optimistic and forward-looking throughout the conversation. Panelists consistently emphasized oppor…
S67
Approaches Towards Meaningful Connectivity in the Global South — This observation exposes a critical gap between policy intention and implementation reality across 27 African countries….
S68
High-Level Track Facilitators Summary and Certificates — These key comments transformed what could have been a routine closing ceremony into a substantive reflection on the fund…
S69
Open Forum #32 Shaping an equal digital future with WSIS+20 &amp; Beijing+30 — The tone of the discussion was largely analytical and solution-oriented. Speakers highlighted both progress made and rem…
S70
WS #31 Cybersecurity in AI: balancing innovation and risks — The tone of the discussion was largely analytical and solution-oriented. Speakers approached the complex issues with a m…
S71
AI for Democracy_ Reimagining Governance in the Age of Intelligence — These key comments fundamentally shaped the discussion by establishing three critical frameworks: (1) the need to move f…
S72
Artificial General Intelligence and the Future of Responsible Governance — The speakers demonstrated strong consensus on the need for holistic approaches to AGI development, emphasizing education…
S73
WS #302 Upgrading Digital Governance at the Local Level — The discussion maintained a consistently professional and collaborative tone throughout. It began with formal introducti…
S74
Closing Ceremony — The discussion maintains a consistently positive and collaborative tone throughout, characterized by gratitude, celebrat…
S75
Building the Future STPI Global Partnerships &amp; Startup Felicitation 2026 — The tone was consistently optimistic, collaborative, and forward-looking throughout the session. It maintained a formal …
S76
Scaling Trusted AI_ How France and India Are Building Industrial &amp; Innovation Bridges — The discussion maintained a consistently optimistic and collaborative tone throughout, characterized by mutual respect b…
S77
The Global Power Shift India’s Rise in AI &amp; Semiconductors — -Moderator: Role not specified in detail, appears to be the session moderator who introduced the panelists and managed t…
S78
Invest India Fireside Chat — -Moderator: Event moderator introducing the session participants
S79
WS #343 Revamping decision-making in digital governance — Audience: Thank you very much. My name is Anne McCormick. I lead global digital policy for EY. We’re active in the globa…
S80
Defending Our Voice: Global South Participation in Digital Governance — Audience: Thank you. Anne McCormick from EY. Thank you for what’s been shared. It’s extremely insightful and helpful. A …
S81
Closure of the session — Notably, the country praised the discussion paper for its focus on the proposed mechanism’s functionality, feasibility, …
S82
Creating digital public infrastructure that empowers people | IGF 2023 Open Forum #168 — Aishwarya Salvi:So I think that’s unique to India. Moving next into the room, I would request Mark to give his response….
S83
Contents — regional level (Lee, 2018). In many advanced economies, public employment services have set up, or are setting up, syste…
S84
Contents — Beyond school and university-level education, a range of opportunities are currently available to workers looking to ite…
Speakers Analysis
Detailed breakdown of each speaker’s arguments and positions
A
Arundhati Bhattacharya
5 arguments169 words per minute1281 words452 seconds
Argument 1
Digital marketplace needed for worker discovery, credential sharing, and opportunity access (Arundhati Bhattacharya)
EXPLANATION
Arundhati argues that because India’s large informal workforce lacks awareness of job opportunities, a digital marketplace is essential where workers can list their credentials and experience and connect with available jobs. Such a platform would bridge information gaps and enable workers to find work beyond their immediate locality.
EVIDENCE
She described a plumber who is skilled but unaware of nearby opportunities, emphasizing the need for a marketplace that captures credentials and matches workers with jobs, and noted that digital solutions are the only viable way for a populous nation [34-37].
MAJOR DISCUSSION POINT
Need for a digital marketplace to connect informal workers with jobs
AGREED WITH
Aditya Natraj, Romal Shetty
DISAGREED WITH
Aditya Natraj
Argument 2
Platform provides payment traceability and accountability, reducing delays (Arundhati Bhattacharya)
EXPLANATION
Arundhati points out that delayed and unreliable payments plague both informal workers and MSMEs, and that a digital platform can create a transparent record of transactions, making delays visible and enforceable. Accountability mechanisms embedded in such platforms would improve the business climate.
EVIDENCE
She highlighted pervasive payment delays across sectors, including large corporates and government, and argued that only a digital platform can generate a footprint to track and hold parties accountable [38-44].
EXTERNAL EVIDENCE (KNOWLEDGE BASE)
She highlighted chronic payment delays across sectors and argued that digital platforms can create accountability through clear payment footprints, making delays visible and enforceable [S1].
MAJOR DISCUSSION POINT
Digital platform for payment accountability
Argument 3
Upskilling must be delivered through verifiable digital certifications to keep pace with rapid tech change (Arundhati Bhattacharya)
EXPLANATION
Arundhati stresses that continuous technological change demands that informal workers receive upskilling that is validated through digital certifications, ensuring that their new skills are recognized and trusted. This verifiable credentialing supports both workers and employers in a digital ecosystem.
EVIDENCE
She noted that as technology evolves, workers need upskilling and that verifiable digital certification is necessary to confirm completed training [34-38].
EXTERNAL EVIDENCE (KNOWLEDGE BASE)
The need for verifiable digital certification and skill validation is discussed in literature on bridging the digital skills gap, which emphasizes training programs that issue trusted digital credentials [S13].
MAJOR DISCUSSION POINT
Digital certification for upskilling
Argument 4
No cookie‑cutter solution; vertical‑specific interventions backed by government enable ecosystems to grow (Arundhati Bhattacharya)
EXPLANATION
Arundhati argues that solutions must be tailored to the distinct needs of different worker categories, and that government involvement is crucial to create the enabling ecosystem for each vertical. A one‑size‑fits‑all approach would fail to address varied challenges.
EVIDENCE
She said solutions cannot be cookie-cutter and must be vertical-specific, with the government playing a key role in enabling ecosystems [120-124].
MAJOR DISCUSSION POINT
Need for sector‑specific, government‑backed interventions
Argument 5
Reports and suggestions lack an execution authority; a dedicated accountable entity is required to implement recommendations (Arundhati Bhattacharya)
EXPLANATION
Arundhati critiques the current practice of producing reports without assigning responsibility for implementation, calling for an accountable body to drive execution of recommendations. Without such authority, good ideas remain unimplemented.
EVIDENCE
She questioned who is charged with execution after reports, noting the absence of accountability and the need for an authority to implement suggestions [45-50].
EXTERNAL EVIDENCE (KNOWLEDGE BASE)
She questioned who is charged with execution after reports and called for an authority that can take charge and be accountable for implementation [S1].
MAJOR DISCUSSION POINT
Need for execution accountability
AGREED WITH
Manisha Verma, Romal Shetty
DISAGREED WITH
Manisha Verma
M
Manisha Verma
4 arguments145 words per minute1918 words792 seconds
Argument 1
SEED department oversees vocational institutes, accreditation, and a state skills university to build skilled workforce (Manisha Verma)
EXPLANATION
Manisha describes the SEED department’s comprehensive oversight of over a thousand ITIs, a state board for accreditation, and the newly established Ratan Tata State Skills University, all aimed at creating a skilled workforce for industry. This institutional framework supports systematic skill development.
EVIDENCE
She outlined the department’s role overseeing ITIs, the state board’s accreditation function, and the creation of the state skills university [57-73].
EXTERNAL EVIDENCE (KNOWLEDGE BASE)
The speaker noted heading the Department of Skills, Employment, Entrepreneurship, and Innovation and the recent creation of the Ratan Tata State Skills University in Maharashtra [S1].
MAJOR DISCUSSION POINT
Institutional framework for vocational skill development
Argument 2
Targeted skilling programmes for jail inmates, people with disabilities, women, and tribal communities ensure social inclusion (Manisha Verma)
EXPLANATION
Manisha highlights that the department partners with agencies to provide vocational training to marginalized groups such as prison inmates, persons with disabilities, women, and tribal populations, ensuring inclusive skill development. These programs aim to integrate vulnerable groups into the formal economy.
EVIDENCE
She listed partnerships for skilling jail inmates, people with disabilities, women, and tribal areas as part of the department’s inclusive agenda [76-77].
EXTERNAL EVIDENCE (KNOWLEDGE BASE)
Bridging the Digital Skills Gap outlines training extensions to women, people with disabilities, and indigenous communities, providing context for such inclusive programmes [S13]; Open Forum on bridging the digital divide also stresses targeted programs for marginalized groups [S14].
MAJOR DISCUSSION POINT
Inclusive skilling for vulnerable groups
AGREED WITH
Aditya Natraj
Argument 3
Maharashtra’s startup outreach (district‑level committees, hackathons, “Startup Week”) creates jobs and delivers social‑impact innovations (Manisha Verma)
EXPLANATION
Manisha details Maharashtra’s extensive startup ecosystem, noting 35,000 registered startups, district‑level committees, hackathons, grant challenges, and the “Startup Week” competition that channels socially impactful innovations into market opportunities and government contracts. This ecosystem generates employment and addresses societal challenges.
EVIDENCE
She cited the number of startups, district-level outreach, hackathons, grant challenges, and the “Startup Week” process that selects and awards socially impactful startups with work orders and visibility [146-154] and provided examples of awarded startups in health, clean energy, and inclusive mobility [158-166].
MAJOR DISCUSSION POINT
State‑driven startup ecosystem for social impact
Argument 4
PPP policy allows industry‑led management of ITIs, curriculum redesign, and apprenticeship programmes, strengthening industry‑government collaboration (Manisha Verma)
EXPLANATION
Manisha explains a public‑private partnership policy that lets industry anchor partners manage ITIs for long terms, redesign curricula, and provide expert faculty, thereby aligning training with industry needs and fostering apprenticeship opportunities. This model deepens collaboration between government and private sector.
EVIDENCE
She described the PPP policy granting industry-led management of ITIs, freedom to design curriculum, and integration with apprenticeship programmes, referencing the PM Setu scheme as a national counterpart [274-279].
MAJOR DISCUSSION POINT
PPP framework for vocational training
AGREED WITH
Arundhati Bhattacharya, Romal Shetty
A
Aditya Natraj
4 arguments185 words per minute1857 words600 seconds
Argument 1
Productivity deficit stems from exclusion of the bottom quartile; addressing education, gender and tribal barriers is essential (Aditya Natraj)
EXPLANATION
Aditya emphasizes that the largest productivity gaps arise from the poorest quartile, many of whom lack basic education, face early marriage for women, and belong to tribal communities, all of which limit their economic contribution. Targeted interventions in education, gender equity, and tribal inclusion are needed to raise overall productivity.
EVIDENCE
He described the four quartiles, highlighted that 36% of women marry before 18, low education levels (less than six years), and the concentration of poverty in five eastern states, illustrating the barriers faced by the bottom quartile [86-108].
EXTERNAL EVIDENCE (KNOWLEDGE BASE)
He referenced that the bottom quartile is not yet plugged into the market and needs help, echoing statements made in the discussion about the need to support the poorest segment [S1].
MAJOR DISCUSSION POINT
Bottom‑quartile exclusion driving productivity gaps
AGREED WITH
Manisha Verma
Argument 2
Technology should augment informal workers, not replace them; appropriate guardrails are required (Aditya Natraj)
EXPLANATION
Aditya argues that technology interventions must enhance workers’ capabilities rather than displace them, and that safeguards should be put in place to ensure safety, earnings, and job security. The focus should be on augmentation, not substitution.
EVIDENCE
In response to a question about guardrails, he discussed productivity gaps and stressed that technology must improve safety and earnings without replacing workers, linking the issue to the need for appropriate safeguards [79-80] and his broader commentary on productivity and technology [81-108].
MAJOR DISCUSSION POINT
Guardrails for technology‑enabled work
Argument 3
Aggregation models (e.g., FabIndia, Amul, UrbanClap) are critical for improving service quality, market access and incentive alignment (Aditya Natraj)
EXPLANATION
Aditya outlines various aggregation models—FabIndia’s design‑focused supply chain, Amul’s farmer‑owned cooperative, and UrbanClap’s rating system—that can organize blue‑collar workers, improve quality perception, and align incentives, thereby enhancing market access for informal workers.
EVIDENCE
He described the FabIndia model, the Amul/Seva cooperative model, and the UrbanClap rating platform, illustrating how each aggregates workers and distributes benefits [188-209].
MAJOR DISCUSSION POINT
Importance of aggregation for informal workers
AGREED WITH
Arundhati Bhattacharya, Romal Shetty
DISAGREED WITH
Arundhati Bhattacharya
Argument 4
Adoption varies across four categories of workers (age, device literacy); tailored programs are needed to overcome fear and skill gaps (Aditya Natraj)
EXPLANATION
Aditya presents a typology of ASHA workers ranging from those with no phone experience to tech‑savvy younger workers, showing that digital adoption depends on age and device familiarity. Tailored training programs are required to address the specific barriers of each group.
EVIDENCE
He gave detailed categories of ASHA workers-over-50 with no phone, dumb-phone users, smartphone users not accustomed to business use, and younger tech-savvy workers-highlighting the need for differentiated adoption strategies [294-318].
EXTERNAL EVIDENCE (KNOWLEDGE BASE)
Strategies for bridging the digital skills gap emphasize differentiated training for varied literacy levels and marginalized groups, providing context for tailored adoption programs [S13]; Open Forum stresses targeted digital programs for different demographic groups [S14].
MAJOR DISCUSSION POINT
Need for differentiated digital adoption strategies
DISAGREED WITH
Arundhati Bhattacharya
R
Romal Shetty
1 argument152 words per minute921 words361 seconds
Argument 1
Persona‑led approach demonstrates that challenges differ across worker types and requires differentiated solutions (Romal Shetty)
EXPLANATION
Romal notes that the study created distinct personas—cultivators, artisans, textile workers, etc.—each facing unique challenges such as volatility, market access, skill gaps, and income insecurity, underscoring the need for tailored interventions rather than a uniform approach.
EVIDENCE
He listed the personas and associated challenges: cultivators face volatility, artisans market access, textile workers skills gaps, trade workers income insecurity, and migration pressures [114-119].
MAJOR DISCUSSION POINT
Persona‑based differentiation of interventions
AGREED WITH
Arundhati Bhattacharya
S
S. Anjani Kumar
1 argument139 words per minute381 words163 seconds
Argument 1
Emphasises that industry, development sector and government must work together as an ecosystem to solve informal sector problems (S. Anjani Kumar)
EXPLANATION
In his opening remarks, Anjani Kumar stresses that solving informal sector challenges requires coordinated action among industry, development agencies, and government, framing the problem as an ecosystem issue.
EVIDENCE
He stated that “all of the ecosystem has to come together to solve for this problem” and introduced a panel representing industry, development, and government [4] and [2-5].
EXTERNAL EVIDENCE (KNOWLEDGE BASE)
Multistakeholder Partnerships for Thriving AI Ecosystems calls for government frameworks that enable ecosystem collaboration among industry, development agencies, and public sector [S10]; Digital Entrepreneurship notes the role of governments, investors, and larger companies in fostering such ecosystems [S12]; Securing access to financing to digital startups highlights collaborative efforts across stakeholders [S15].
MAJOR DISCUSSION POINT
Multi‑stakeholder ecosystem collaboration
Agreements
Agreement Points
A digital platform/marketplace is essential to connect informal workers with job opportunities, enable payment traceability, and support upskilling and aggregation.
Speakers: Arundhati Bhattacharya, Aditya Natraj, Romal Shetty
Digital marketplace needed for worker discovery, credential sharing, and opportunity access (Arundhati Bhattacharya) Aggregation models (e.g., FabIndia, Amul, UrbanClap) are critical for improving service quality, market access and incentive alignment (Aditya Natraj) Persona‑led approach demonstrates that challenges differ across worker types and requires differentiated solutions (Romal Shetty)
All three speakers stress that a digital platform or aggregation model is required to bridge information gaps, provide transparent payment records and deliver verifiable upskilling, recognizing the diversity of informal workers’ needs [34-37][188-209][114-119].
POLICY CONTEXT (KNOWLEDGE BASE)
This view is reflected in UNCTAD’s eTrade Readiness Assessment for Ghana, which stresses verifiable data and digital marketplaces for informal sector finance [S29], and in Brazil’s ‘Contrate quem luta’ platform that links homeless workers to jobs, demonstrating the practical impact of centralized digital marketplaces [S37].
The government must play a central, accountable role in executing recommendations and catalyzing ecosystem development.
Speakers: Arundhati Bhattacharya, Manisha Verma, Romal Shetty
Reports and suggestions lack an execution authority; a dedicated accountable entity is required to implement recommendations (Arundhati Bhattacharya) SEED department oversees vocational institutes, accreditation and a state skills university to build a skilled workforce (Manisha Verma) All of the ecosystem has to come together to solve for this problem (Romal Shetty)
Arundhati calls for an execution authority, Manisha describes government structures that can deliver skills and innovation, and Romal frames the challenge as requiring ecosystem collaboration, indicating consensus on strong governmental responsibility [45-50][57-73][4-5].
POLICY CONTEXT (KNOWLEDGE BASE)
Policy discussions in ECOWAS highlight the government’s duty to create a conducive policy environment rather than stifle innovation [S38], and the UN Joint Inspection Unit stresses government leadership and coordination as essential for digital learning platforms [S41].
Interventions must be sector‑specific and tailored to distinct worker personas rather than a one‑size‑fits‑all approach.
Speakers: Arundhati Bhattacharya, Romal Shetty
No cookie‑cutter solution; vertical‑specific interventions backed by government enable ecosystems (Arundhati Bhattacharya) Persona‑led approach demonstrates that challenges differ across worker types and requires differentiated solutions (Romal Shetty)
Both speakers argue that solutions need to be customized to different worker categories, emphasizing vertical or persona-based design [120-124][114-119].
POLICY CONTEXT (KNOWLEDGE BASE)
The AI governance framework recommends sector-specific, use-case-specific governance instead of one-size-fits-all solutions [S50], and recent analyses underline the need to address structural sector differences for informal workers [S25].
Inclusive skilling for vulnerable groups (women, tribal communities, bottom‑quartile populations) is essential for productivity gains.
Speakers: Manisha Verma, Aditya Natraj
Targeted skilling programmes for jail inmates, people with disabilities, women, and tribal communities ensure social inclusion (Manisha Verma) Productivity deficit stems from exclusion of the bottom quartile; addressing education, gender and tribal barriers is essential (Aditya Natraj)
Manisha highlights programs for marginalized groups, while Aditya points to the same groups as sources of productivity gaps, showing shared emphasis on inclusive development [76-77][86-108].
POLICY CONTEXT (KNOWLEDGE BASE)
India’s gender-focused e-commerce policy playbook calls for state schemes that target women in the informal sector [S27], while the ILO emphasizes lifelong learning and public-private collaboration to upskill vulnerable workers [S30].
Public‑private partnership and industry collaboration are critical to drive skill development, innovation and social impact.
Speakers: Arundhati Bhattacharya, Manisha Verma, Romal Shetty
She is a strong advocate of responsible AI, inclusive technological adoption, and public‑private collaboration for national growth (Arundhati Bhattacharya) PPP policy allows industry‑led management of ITIs, curriculum redesign, and apprenticeship programmes, strengthening industry‑government collaboration (Manisha Verma) Industry partnerships are an important ally for employment and societal impact (Romal Shetty)
All three speakers underscore the importance of public-private collaboration, from policy to practical industry partnerships, to enhance skill ecosystems and social outcomes [8][274-279][237-239].
POLICY CONTEXT (KNOWLEDGE BASE)
European experience shows PPPs are vital for successful digital innovation initiatives [S31], and UNIDO highlights private-sector capacity as a driver of positive change in sustainable development projects [S46].
Similar Viewpoints
Both emphasize that government must create enabling frameworks and partnerships tailored to specific sectors to foster ecosystem growth [120-124][274-279].
Speakers: Arundhati Bhattacharya, Manisha Verma
No cookie‑cutter solution; vertical‑specific interventions backed by government enable ecosystems (Arundhati Bhattacharya) PPP policy allows industry‑led management of ITIs, curriculum redesign, and apprenticeship programmes, strengthening industry‑government collaboration (Manisha Verma)
Both stress that reaching the most marginalized groups through tailored skilling is key to improving overall productivity and inclusion [86-108][76-77].
Speakers: Aditya Natraj, Manisha Verma
Productivity deficit stems from exclusion of the bottom quartile; addressing education, gender and tribal barriers is essential (Aditya Natraj) Targeted skilling programmes for jail inmates, people with disabilities, women, and tribal communities ensure social inclusion (Manisha Verma)
Both agree that a differentiated, persona‑based approach is necessary rather than a uniform solution [120-124][114-119].
Speakers: Arundhati Bhattacharya, Romal Shetty
No cookie‑cutter solution; vertical‑specific interventions backed by government enable ecosystems (Arundhati Bhattacharya) Persona‑led approach demonstrates that challenges differ across worker types and requires differentiated solutions (Romal Shetty)
Unexpected Consensus
Recognition that low‑tech, community‑driven interventions can be as impactful as high‑tech digital solutions.
Speakers: Arundhati Bhattacharya, Manisha Verma
Simple equipment upgrades (stone‑age bamboo tools) dramatically improved product quality without fancy technology (Arundhati Bhattacharya) Funding modest homestays in tribal areas created tourism and cultural value (Manisha Verma)
While both speakers champion digital platforms, they also converge on the importance of simple, low-tech actions-equipment improvement and modest community funding-as effective ways to boost livelihoods, an unexpected alignment between a corporate leader and a government official [128-135][240-270].
POLICY CONTEXT (KNOWLEDGE BASE)
The WS #44 discussion on gender prioritization underscores the effectiveness of community networks and locally-driven low-tech solutions [S44], and policy briefs on digital public infrastructure note that low-tech alternatives can complement high-tech platforms [S35].
Overall Assessment

There is strong consensus that addressing informal sector challenges requires a coordinated ecosystem where government provides accountable execution and enabling policies, digital platforms and aggregation models connect workers, interventions are tailored to specific worker categories, and vulnerable groups receive targeted inclusion. Public‑private partnerships and even low‑tech community solutions are recognized as complementary pathways.

High consensus across speakers, indicating a shared understanding that multi‑stakeholder, differentiated, and accountable approaches—combining digital and simple interventions—are essential for advancing informal sector development.

Differences
Different Viewpoints
Mechanism for connecting informal workers – centralized digital marketplace vs aggregation‑based models
Speakers: Arundhati Bhattacharya, Aditya Natraj
Digital marketplace needed for worker discovery, credential sharing, and opportunity access (Arundhati Bhattacharya) Aggregation models (e.g., FabIndia, Amul, UrbanClap) are critical for improving service quality, market access and incentive alignment (Aditya Natraj)
Arundhati argues that a single digital platform is essential to list credentials, match workers with jobs and ensure payment traceability [34-37][45-50]. Aditya counters that before a digital platform can work, workers must be aggregated through cooperative or rating-based models to improve quality perception and market incentives, citing FabIndia, Amul and UrbanClap examples [188-209].
POLICY CONTEXT (KNOWLEDGE BASE)
Debates on digital public infrastructure note differing models for worker aggregation, with centralized marketplaces exemplified by Ghana’s e-trade data platforms [S29] and aggregation approaches highlighted in Brazil’s ‘Contrate quem luta’ case study [S37].
Who should lead implementation of recommendations – a dedicated government authority vs a catalyst role for government with industry‑led execution
Speakers: Arundhati Bhattacharya, Manisha Verma
Reports and suggestions lack an execution authority; a dedicated accountable entity is required to implement recommendations (Arundhati Bhattacharya) PPP policy allows industry‑led management of ITIs and the government should act as a catalyst rather than the primary executor (Manisha Verma)
Arundhati stresses the need for an accountable body to drive execution of the study’s recommendations, warning that without it reports remain unused [45-50]. Manisha emphasizes that the government’s role is to facilitate and catalyze, with industry taking the lead through public-private partnerships for curriculum redesign and apprenticeship programmes [143-148][274-279].
POLICY CONTEXT (KNOWLEDGE BASE)
UN discussions stress the need for government coordination but also recognize industry as a catalyst, reflecting the tension between dedicated public agencies and private-led execution [S41][S48].
Approach to digital adoption – one‑size‑fits‑all platform versus differentiated programmes based on user age and device literacy
Speakers: Arundhati Bhattacharya, Aditya Natraj
Digital marketplace needed for worker discovery, credential sharing, and opportunity access (Arundhati Bhattacharya) Adoption varies across four categories of workers (age, device literacy); tailored programs are needed to overcome fear and skill gaps (Aditya Natraj)
Arundhati proposes a universal digital solution to address discovery, upskilling and payments without detailing user segmentation [34-38]. Aditya presents a typology of ASHA workers ranging from no phone experience to tech-savvy youth, arguing that programmes must be customized for each group to achieve adoption [294-318].
POLICY CONTEXT (KNOWLEDGE BASE)
The AI governance framework advocates use-case-specific approaches rather than universal platforms [S50], and the Digital Adoption Index highlights disparities in government digital service readiness across populations [S45].
Unexpected Differences
Extent of government leadership versus private/industry leadership in driving change
Speakers: Arundhati Bhattacharya, Manisha Verma
Reports and suggestions lack an execution authority; a dedicated accountable entity is required to implement recommendations (Arundhati Bhattacharya) PPP policy allows industry‑led management of ITIs and the government should act as a catalyst rather than the primary executor (Manisha Verma)
Both speakers emphasize the importance of government involvement, yet Arundhati calls for a strong, accountable government authority to implement reforms, whereas Manisha argues that the government should step back and let industry take the lead through PPPs. This contrast was not anticipated given the shared emphasis on government’s role earlier in the discussion.
POLICY CONTEXT (KNOWLEDGE BASE)
Commentary on the perceived inability of governments to meet global challenges underscores calls for stronger private-sector leadership and multilateral coordination [S49][S47].
Digital platform as a pan‑solution versus need for simple physical equipment upgrades
Speakers: Arundhati Bhattacharya, Aditya Natraj
Digital marketplace needed for worker discovery, credential sharing, and opportunity access (Arundhati Bhattacharya) Aggregation models are critical for improving service quality and market access (Aditya Natraj)
Arundhati highlights a digital marketplace as the primary lever, while earlier she also shared a story where a simple upgrade of bamboo-working equipment (non-digital) dramatically improved product quality and marketability [126-135]. Aditya’s focus on aggregation models similarly points to non-digital organisational structures as prerequisites for any digital solution, an angle not explicitly addressed by Arundhati’s platform-centric view.
POLICY CONTEXT (KNOWLEDGE BASE)
Analyses of digital public infrastructure caution against viewing platforms as pan-solutions, emphasizing complementary physical upgrades and low-tech interventions [S35][S44].
Overall Assessment

The panel largely concurs on the need for multi‑stakeholder collaboration and upskilling of informal workers. However, substantive disagreements emerge around the preferred mechanism for connecting workers (centralised digital marketplace vs aggregation models), the locus of execution authority (government‑led versus industry‑led PPPs), and the design of digital adoption programmes (uniform platform versus differentiated, user‑specific interventions).

Moderate – while there is consensus on goals, the divergent views on implementation pathways could hinder coordinated action unless a hybrid approach is adopted that integrates aggregation, tailored adoption strategies, and a clear accountable body bridging government and industry.

Partial Agreements
The moderator opens by stating that industry, development and government must work together [4]; Romal reinforces the multi‑sector panel [23-24]; Arundhati later notes that the government must enable ecosystems for vertical‑specific solutions [120-124]; Manisha describes departmental coordination of ITIs, accreditation and PPPs to build a skilled workforce [57-73][274-279]; Aditya highlights collaboration with government for digitisation of health and education systems [188-190]. All agree on the necessity of collaboration and on the importance of upskilling, though they differ on the exact mechanisms.
Speakers: S. Anjani Kumar, Romal Shetty, Arundhati Bhattacharya, Manisha Verma, Aditya Natraj
Multi‑stakeholder ecosystem collaboration is essential to solve informal sector challenges All participants acknowledge the need for upskilling and skill development for informal workers
Takeaways
Key takeaways
Digital platforms are essential to address discovery, credential sharing, market access, and payment traceability for informal workers. Government agencies (e.g., Maharashtra’s SEED department) must lead skill development, accreditation, and inclusive programs for vulnerable groups. Productivity gaps stem largely from the exclusion of the bottom quartile; addressing education, gender, and tribal barriers is critical. Technology should augment informal workers, not replace them; upskilling must be supported by verifiable digital certifications. One‑size‑fits‑all solutions are ineffective; sector‑specific interventions and aggregation models (FabIndia, Amul, UrbanClap) are needed. Public‑private partnerships and the startup ecosystem can drive social‑impact innovations and create job pathways. Adoption of digital/AI tools varies across age and device‑literacy groups; tailored behavioral‑change programs are required. Current reports lack an execution authority; a dedicated accountable entity is needed to implement recommendations. Multi‑stakeholder collaboration (industry, development sector, government) is crucial for systemic change in the informal sector.
Resolutions and action items
Proposal to establish a dedicated execution authority or lead agency to implement the digital platform recommendations. Maharashtra’s SEED department to continue expanding accreditation, the state skills university, and short‑term skilling programs for marginalized groups. Implementation of PPP policy allowing industry‑led management of ITIs and curriculum redesign, aligned with the national PM‑SETU scheme. Continuation and scaling of Maharashtra’s ‘Startup Week’, hackathons, and district‑level startup committees to foster socially‑impactful ventures. Leverage existing aggregation programs (NRLM, SRLM) to improve quality assurance and market access for blue‑collar workers. Design and deploy tiered digital‑adoption training modules that address the four identified worker categories (age/device literacy).
Unresolved issues
Specific entity or mechanism that will be held accountable for executing the digital marketplace and payment‑traceability platform. Funding model and governance structure for the proposed nationwide digital platform. Detailed guardrails to ensure AI/technology augments rather than displaces informal workers. Scalable approach for aggregating diverse informal occupations beyond pilot models (e.g., FabIndia, UrbanClap). How to systematically engage and secure deeper industry participation in PPPs and apprenticeship schemes. Metrics and timelines for measuring impact of skilling programs on the bottom quartile’s productivity.
Suggested compromises
Combine a centralized digital platform with vertical‑specific modules to respect the differing needs of each worker persona. Balance government‑led standardisation (accreditation, certification) with private‑sector innovation (startup solutions, equipment upgrades). Adopt simple, low‑technology interventions (e.g., upgraded tools for tribal bamboo workers) alongside high‑tech digital solutions. Encourage industry to act as catalyst rather than sole driver, allowing the government to provide policy support and funding while industry supplies expertise and resources.
Thought Provoking Comments
India is great at putting out fantastic reports, but who is charged with the execution? There has to be an authority that will take charge, run with it, and be accountable for actually implementing it.
Highlights the chronic implementation gap between policy recommendations and real‑world action, calling for a concrete accountability mechanism rather than just more reports.
Shifted the conversation from describing problems to questioning systemic responsibility. It prompted the moderator to acknowledge the need for execution and set the stage for later discussion on concrete platforms and governance structures.
Speaker: Arundhati Bhattacharya
The bottom quartile of India’s population is not even plugged into the market; many lack basic education, and issues like early marriage for women drastically limit productivity. We need to focus on those 70 million people in five eastern states, not just the top quartile.
Broadens the analysis from generic informal‑sector challenges to deep structural inequities—education, gender, and regional disparities—that drive the productivity gap.
Introduced a new layer of complexity, moving the dialogue from technology solutions to social determinants. It caused other panelists to acknowledge the need for targeted interventions for the most marginalized groups.
Speaker: Aditya Natraj
In a tribal bamboo‑working village we simply replaced stone‑age tools with slightly better equipment. The product quality jumped and market demand increased—no fancy AI needed, just a modest, context‑specific innovation.
Demonstrates that low‑tech, locally‑tailored solutions can have outsized impact, challenging the assumption that high‑tech AI is always required.
Reoriented the discussion toward pragmatic, low‑cost interventions. It reinforced the earlier point about the need for on‑the‑ground knowledge before scaling digital platforms.
Speaker: Arundhati Bhattacharya
Aggregation is critical for blue‑collar workers. Models like FabIndia, Amul, and UrbanClap show different ways to organize workers, ensure quality, and share benefits, but we still lack a systematic aggregation for many artisans.
Provides concrete examples of successful aggregation models and underscores that without such structures, quality assurance and market access remain elusive for informal workers.
Expanded the conversation to include supply‑chain organization and cooperative models, prompting the government representative to reference NRLM and SRLM as aggregation mechanisms.
Speaker: Aditya Natraj
Technology adoption depends on four distinct user groups: (1) workers over 50 with no phone experience, (2) dumb‑phone users, (3) smartphone owners who use it only for entertainment, and (4) young, tech‑savvy workers. One‑size‑fits‑all programs will miss three quarters of the audience.
Identifies the heterogeneity within the informal workforce and the behavioral barriers to digital adoption, urging nuanced, segmented program design.
Prompted a deeper analysis of implementation strategies, influencing the panel to consider differentiated training and support mechanisms rather than uniform digital roll‑outs.
Speaker: Aditya Natraj
I funded a one‑lakh‑rupee grant for homestays in a tribal firefly‑rich area, leading to a thriving community‑based tourism model that now attracts visitors from across the state.
Illustrates how small, flexible funding and personal initiative can catalyze sustainable livelihood projects, providing a tangible success story that bridges policy and grassroots impact.
Served as a concrete example of the earlier discussion on tourism’s potential, reinforcing the argument for micro‑funds and localized interventions, and inspiring other panelists to think about scalable pilots.
Speaker: Manisha Verma
Balancing a centralized platform with the need for persona‑specific solutions means we cannot have a cookie‑cutter approach; fundamental issues like access, health, and literacy must be addressed early, while vertical‑specific interventions require government enablement and stakeholder collaboration.
Synthesizes the tension between universal infrastructure and tailored interventions, emphasizing the role of government as an ecosystem enabler.
Re‑focused the dialogue on the architecture of solutions, leading to a consensus that both a common digital backbone and sector‑specific modules are necessary.
Speaker: Arundhati Bhattacharya
Overall Assessment

The discussion was steered by a handful of incisive remarks that moved it beyond a superficial listing of challenges. Arundhati’s call for execution accountability and her low‑tech bamboo example questioned the prevailing tech‑first mindset, while Aditya’s focus on the bottom quartile, aggregation models, and behavioral segmentation exposed deep structural and cultural barriers. Manisha’s micro‑funding anecdote provided a vivid proof‑of‑concept that small, context‑aware interventions can succeed. Together, these comments shifted the tone from problem‑identification to concrete governance, design, and implementation considerations, shaping a more nuanced, action‑oriented conversation.

Follow-up Questions
Who should be the accountable authority responsible for executing the recommendations and platform implementation for informal workers?
Arundhati highlighted the gap between report recommendations and actual execution, emphasizing the need for a designated body to ensure accountability and implementation.
Speaker: Arundhati Bhattacharya
Should a dedicated study be conducted on the tourism and hospitality sector to unlock its potential for informal employment and foreign exchange earnings?
She noted that despite India’s rich cultural assets, the sector underperforms and suggested a separate research effort to identify interventions.
Speaker: Arundhati Bhattacharya
Why is the bottom quartile of the population not integrated into the formal market, and what specific interventions are required to bring them into productive employment?
Aditya pointed out that a large segment remains excluded due to low education and social factors, calling for deeper investigation into barriers and targeted solutions.
Speaker: Aditya Natraj
What aggregation models (e.g., FabIndia‑type, cooperative like Amul, platform‑based like UrbanClap) are most effective for organizing blue‑collar informal workers and improving quality, market access, and earnings?
He discussed various aggregation approaches and indicated the need to research their applicability and impact on informal labor markets.
Speaker: Aditya Natraj
How can digital and AI interventions be tailored to the four distinct user groups (non‑phone users, dumb‑phone users, smartphone but non‑business users, and tech‑savvy young workers) to improve adoption among informal workers?
Aditya identified heterogeneous technology adoption levels and suggested further study to design differentiated programs.
Speaker: Aditya Natraj
What is the impact of public‑private partnership (PPP) policies that give industry long‑term control over ITI management, curriculum design, and faculty, on skill relevance and job placement outcomes?
Manisha described a PPP model for ITIs and implied the need to evaluate its effectiveness for aligning training with industry needs.
Speaker: Manisha Verma
How effective is the ‘Startup Week’ initiative and direct work‑order awards in scaling socially impactful startups, and can this model be expanded or refined?
She highlighted the program’s success in linking startups to government contracts, suggesting further research on scalability and long‑term impact.
Speaker: Manisha Verma
Can the small, untied Nucleus Budget Fund be leveraged systematically to develop tribal‑area homestays and other tourism‑related micro‑enterprises, and what are the outcomes of such pilots?
Manisha recounted a personal pilot funding homestays, indicating a need to study its replicability and economic benefits for tribal communities.
Speaker: Manisha Verma
What specific guardrails are needed to ensure that technology augments informal workers’ safety and earnings without displacing them, and how should these be monitored?
Romal asked about safeguards for technology deployment, pointing to a gap in policy guidance that requires further clarification.
Speaker: Romal Shetty (addressed to Aditya Natraj)
How can a centralized digital platform balance uniform services (e.g., marketplace, certification, payment tracking) with the diverse, persona‑specific challenges of different informal worker groups?
He raised the tension between a one‑size‑fits‑all platform and the need for customized solutions, indicating a research area on platform design.
Speaker: Romal Shetty (addressed to Arundhati Bhattacharya)

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