Keynote Address_Revanth Reddy_Chief Minister Telangana
20 Feb 2026 15:00h - 16:00h
Keynote Address_Revanth Reddy_Chief Minister Telangana
Summary
The opening remarks welcomed participants to the India AI Impact Summit 2026 and introduced a keynote on technology-led governance and AI-driven growth [1][3]. Chief Minister A. Revanth Reddy began by thanking the audience and noting the gathering of leading global minds at the summit [5]. He traced human progress from fire, the wheel and agriculture through democracy and electricity, concluding that artificial intelligence now represents the most transformative invention [7-9][13-15]. Reddy emphasized that AI possesses not only cognitive abilities but also agency, enabling autonomous decision-making when combined with robotics [18-22]. He warned that an AI race is already under way, with a few countries and companies taking the lead, while India missed earlier industrial and manufacturing revolutions and has so far contributed only services rather than global products [23-25][30-31]. To compete, India must both use and produce AI technologies across all layers-including chips, green energy, data storage, platforms, applications and services-and develop a roadmap targeting leadership in the top three layers [32-35][36]. Reddy proposed establishing a national AI war room linking centre and states, with Hyderabad as a possible hub, and creating a world-class AI university focused on original research [37-40]. He called for domestic production of GPU chips and full participation in the supply chain, including securing rare minerals, to reduce dependence on foreign technology [42-44]. Recognising potential job displacement, Reddy urged the creation of a system to estimate AI-induced job losses and a massive reskilling programme for affected workers [45-49]. He also advocated an AI fund for startups and a dedicated AI start-up village in Telangana to nurture future unicorns [50-51]. To sustain momentum, Reddy suggested holding AI summits every six months in rotating cities such as Hyderabad [52-54]. He requested the formation of a national AI council and an AI ministry at both centre and state levels to draft regulations, prevent misuse and harness AI for social justice, inclusion and poverty eradication [55-57]. The session closed with the organizers thanking the chief minister, praising Telangana’s initiatives, and inviting further collaboration, accompanied by a round of applause [62-66][67].
Keypoints
– India must transition from a consumer of foreign AI products to a global producer across the entire AI stack. The speaker notes that India “missed the industrial…manufacturing revolution” and “use…but not own” the major AI-driven services, urging the country to “become a leader in all layers of AI…chips, green energy, data storage, platforms, applications and services” and to create a roadmap for top-tier leadership[25-32][33-36].
– Establish dedicated institutional mechanisms to steer AI development and governance. Proposals include an “AI war room” at the centre and states, a world-class AI university, a national AI council and an AI ministry to draft laws against misuse, as well as a dedicated AI fund for startups[37-40][55-57].
– Invest heavily in workforce reskilling and ecosystem support to mitigate AI-driven job displacement. The speaker calls for a system to “estimate job losses because of AI,” massive investment in “reskilling of people who lose their jobs,” an AI fund for startups, and a state-level “AI start-up village” to nurture future unicorns[45-49][50-51].
– Create a regular, region-focused AI summit circuit to foster collaboration and showcase Telangana’s initiatives. Recommendations include holding AI summits every six months in different cities (e.g., Hyderabad), establishing an “AI start-up village” and inviting global institutions to work in Telangana, thereby positioning the state as a hub for AI partnership[52-55][58-60].
Overall purpose:
The discussion is a strategic call-to-action urging the Indian government and the state of Telangana to accelerate AI leadership through comprehensive policy frameworks, infrastructure investment, talent development, and regular collaborative events, thereby positioning India as a dominant player in the global AI ecosystem.
Overall tone:
The tone is consistently upbeat and visionary, beginning with a formal welcome, moving into an enthusiastic and persuasive articulation of challenges and opportunities, and culminating in a supportive, celebratory applause. While the speech maintains optimism throughout, it grows increasingly urgent as concrete policy and investment measures are proposed.
Speakers
– A. Revanth Reddy
– Role/Title: Chief Minister of Telangana [S1]
– Area of Expertise:
– Speaker 1
– Role/Title: Event moderator/host (introduces speakers) [S2]
– Area of Expertise:
Additional speakers:
– Shri A. Nivant Reddy
– Role/Title: Honourable Chief Minister of Telangana (as referenced in the transcript)
– Area of Expertise:
The ceremony opened with Speaker 1 welcoming delegates on behalf of the India AI Impact Summit 2026 and formally inviting the chief guest to deliver the keynote on “technology-led governance and harnessing the power of AI in the state’s growth” [1][2][3].
Chief Minister A. Revanth Reddy began by greeting the audience, acknowledging the presence of leading global minds, and congratulating Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Minister Ashwini Vaishnavi for their support of the event [5][6]. He noted, “We have seen many controversies in this event” [68].
Reddy then traced the arc of human progress, recalling how fire, the wheel and agriculture reshaped societies [7], how ideas such as democracy, rule of law and universal voting rights altered civic life [8], and how technologies like electricity, the aeroplane, vaccines and the internet transformed daily existence [9]. He declared artificial intelligence the most consequential invention, observing that AI has made a GPU chip “more intelligent than humans”, can compose poetry, generate reports, produce films and presentations, and “knows almost everything” [13-15]. He highlighted the growing perception on social media that humans are no longer the most intelligent beings [16-17] and stressed that AI possesses agency – the capacity to decide autonomously – especially when coupled with robotics [18-22].
Reddy warned that an international AI race is already under way, with a few countries, companies and individuals taking the lead [23-24]. He candidly stated that India “missed the industrial revolution and the manufacturing revolution” and that, although the nation has excelled in the services sector-particularly software and telecom-it has largely consumed rather than created global AI-driven products such as Google Search, Google Maps, Twitter, Facebook, YouTube and WhatsApp [25-31]. He argued that a country can either “use” a technology or “produce” it; with AI India must do both [32-33].
To move from a consumer to a producer role, Reddy outlined a series of concrete actions:
* Lead the entire AI stack-chips, green energy, data storage, platforms, applications and services-and devise a roadmap targeting leadership in the top three layers [34-36].
* Create a national “AI war-room” linking the centre and the states to monitor rapid AI developments; Hyderabad was suggested as a possible hub [37-39].
* Establish a world-class AI university with top-tier facilities and a focus on original research [40].
* Manufacture domestic GPU chips and participate fully in the AI supply chain, including securing rare minerals [42-44].
* Set up a system to estimate AI-induced job losses and invest massively in reskilling displaced workers [45-49].
* Launch an AI fund to support start-ups and, with central support, create an “AI start-up village” in Telangana [50-51].
* Hold AI summits every six months in rotating Indian cities, with Hyderabad as a prime candidate [52-55].
* Request the Prime Minister to establish a national AI council (modelled on the GST Council or NITI Aayog) and an AI ministry at both central and state levels to draft legislation that prevents misuse of AI, especially against national security, while promoting AI for social justice, inclusion and poverty eradication [55-57].
Reddy concluded by inviting participants to Telangana for discussions and partnerships, welcoming global and national institutions to collaborate on AI projects, and ending with the slogans “Jai Bharat. Jai Telangana.” [58-60][69].
Speaker 1 thanked the chief minister, highlighted the inspiration drawn from Telangana’s AI initiatives, invited attendees to some of the more interesting sessions, and led a round of applause for Shri A. Revanth Reddy [62-66][67].
So I’d like to welcome you on behalf of the India mission and the India AI impact summit 2026. Your leadership is exemplary and we’ve been honored to have you here. So I would like to invite you to the to the dais to deliver a keynote session on technology -led governance and harnessing the power of AI in the state’s growth. Thank you. you
Good afternoon, friends. My pleasure to address this event because of some of the best of minds from all over the world have come together at the Artificial Intelligence Summit in India. I congratulate the Government of India, Honorable Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Ashwini Vaishnavi Minister for Electronics and IT for making this Across human history, great ideas, discoveries and inventions have changed our lives. Discoveries of fire, wheels and agriculture, changed our lives. Ideas like democracy, rule of law, universal voting rights and reservations changed our lives. Technology like electricity, aeroplane, vaccines and internet changed our lives. In the past, inventions added to human physical strength and innovation. After industrial revolution, our bodies never matched machines. We cannot fly like a plane, swim like a ship, or run at the speed of motorcycle or car.
Today, we are witnessing the rise of our greatest invention, that is AI. Artificial intelligence has made a GPU chip more intelligent than humans. It can write poetry and reports, make films and presentations, and it knows almost everything. These days, people say on social media that humans are not the most intelligent anymore. AI is more intelligent. AI also has agency, power to decide. An aeroplane can fly only if it has the power to decide. We tell it. A car will move or stop only if we tell it. AI can order to itself. Combined AI and robotics Machines have both physical and mental capabilities. In this context is important when we set an agenda for the future and AI race has already begun.
We see leadership of a few countries, companies and people. India missed the industrial revolution and the manufacturing revolution. We played a role in services revolution, especially software and telecom. But even in software, we created services but not global products. Google search, Google maps, Twitter, Facebook, YouTube and WhatsApp. We Indians use them. We Indians worked in these companies, but we don’t own them. We did not create them. There are two ways any country can influence a global trend. Use or produce. With AI, we have to both produce and use. India must become a leader in all layers of AI. Chips, green energy, data storage, platforms, applications and services. We must create a roadmap to ensure real leadership in top three layers.
Secondly, India must create a war room with center and states to monitor and respond to AI developments. Thank you. An AI war room for India is crucial. because development in AI can be very quick. Hyderabad can build an AI war room for India with support of the government of India. We need to establish an AI university of global standards with top facilities focusing on original research. We have seen many controversies in this event. Fourthly, to lead an AI revolution, we have to manufacture GPU chips. We have to become part of the entire supply chain. We must get rare minerals. Fifth, we have to put a system to estimate job losses because of AI. India cannot delay this anymore.
We have to invest massively We have to invest in the future. We have to invest in the future. We have to invest in the future. in reskilling of people who lose their jobs. India needs an AI fund for start -ups so our youth can work on all areas of AI and aim to become unicorns. Telangana can establish an AI start -up village for entire country with support of government of India. We need more AI summits. Not once a year, but every six months. Different cities can host them, like Hyderabad. I request Honourable Prime Minister Sri Narendra Modi ji to establish a national AI council, like GST Council or NITI IO. We need an AI ministry both at centre and state level.
to help make laws to prevent misuse of AI, especially against national security and interests. We need to use AI strongly for achievements of social justice, inclusion and removal of poverty. Finally, I invite you to Telangana for discussions, for partnerships. I welcome global and national institutions to work in my state in AI. Thank you. Jai Bharat. Jai Telangana.
Thank you, sir. Thank you very much. On behalf of the organizers, I would like to invite you to some of our more interesting sessions. Thank you for the insightful speech. And we are all inspired by the work which is being done in Telangana under your leadership. Thank you very much. Please, audience please, a big round of applause for Shri A. Nivant Reddy, the Honourable Chief Minister of Telangana.
“Chief Minister A. Revanth Reddy congratulated Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Minister Ashwini Vaishnavi for their support of the event.”
The knowledge base lists Prime Minister Narendra Modi delivering the welcome address [S54] and Minister Ashwini Vaishnav as a key ministerial participant in the summit [S50] and [S51], confirming their involvement.
“Reddy traced the arc of human progress, recalling how fire, the wheel and agriculture reshaped societies.”
A background on technology-driven societal change, including the wheel and agricultural tools, is documented in the knowledge base [S58], providing contextual support for this historical framing.
“AI possesses agency – the capacity to decide autonomously – especially when coupled with robotics.”
The knowledge base discusses AI agents that can act on behalf of humans and the need for accountability mechanisms, highlighting the notion of agency in AI systems [S64].
“An international AI race is already under way, with a few countries, companies and individuals taking the lead.”
The AI race narrative, describing competition among leading nations such as the United States and China, is covered in the knowledge base [S68].
“Create a national “AI war‑room” linking the centre and the states to monitor rapid AI developments; Hyderabad was suggested as a possible hub.”
The knowledge base explicitly calls for an AI war-room involving centre and states and mentions Hyderabad as a suitable location for it [S12].
The two speakers show a clear convergence on AI as a cornerstone for India’s socio‑economic progress and on Telangana’s role as a pilot hub for national AI initiatives.
High consensus on the strategic importance of AI and on Telangana’s leadership, indicating political will that could accelerate policy implementation and investment in the AI ecosystem.
The exchange shows virtually no substantive disagreement. The host merely acknowledges and applauds the keynote’s vision, while the keynote outlines an extensive policy agenda. Their positions converge on the desirability of advancing AI in India, especially in Telangana.
Minimal – the interaction is largely complementary, indicating strong alignment rather than conflict. This suggests that, at least in this forum, there is consensus on the strategic priority of AI, which may facilitate coordinated action across the identified policy areas.
The keynote was driven by a series of strategically layered comments that moved the discussion from a broad celebration of AI’s potential to a focused roadmap for India’s AI future. Early remarks about AI’s agency set a tone of urgency, while the candid critique of India’s past tech role created a sense of necessity for change. The binary ‘use or produce’ framework and the proposal of an AI war room introduced concrete policy directions, which were reinforced by socioeconomic considerations such as job displacement and reskilling. The final appeal for a national AI council and ministry provided a tangible institutional endpoint. Together, these comments redirected the conversation toward actionable governance, economic, and social measures, prompting the audience’s supportive response and framing AI as both an opportunity and a national priority.
Disclaimer: This is not an official session record. DiploAI generates these resources from audiovisual recordings, and they are presented as-is, including potential errors. Due to logistical challenges, such as discrepancies in audio/video or transcripts, names may be misspelled. We strive for accuracy to the best of our ability.
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