The Regional AI Impact Conference 2025 took place at the State Convention Centre in Shillong, organised under the umbrella of IndiaAI Mission along with the Government of Meghalaya and the national Ministry of Electronics & Information Technology (MeitY). This conference is part of a nationwide series leading towards the bigger India AI Impact Summit 2026. The theme for Shillong was anchored around “people, planet and progress,” reflecting a holistic approach to AI deployment.
At the event, the Union Minister (for Electronics & IT, Information & Broadcasting, and Railways) announced that the central government has allocated ₹10,300 crore over the past five years to build an inclusive AI ecosystem across the country. He shared that over 38,000 GPUs have been onboarded into a common compute facility, and 570 Data & AI labs have been initiated nationwide — part of a push to democratize access to AI infrastructure and resources.
A major goal highlighted was skilling: the government aims to train around one million people in AI-related skills, focusing on increasing employability and enabling wider participation in the AI economy. In Meghalaya itself, existing or upcoming labs — including at institutions like NIELIT Shillong, local ITIs and polytechnics — are expected to bolster local capacity and make AI tools accessible even in remote or under-represented regions.
Speakers at the conference — including the state’s Chief Minister Conrad K. Sangma — emphasized that AI can be a powerful enabler for governance, environmental sustainability, economic growth, and social development in Northeast India. They positioned Meghalaya as aspiring to become a regional hub for AI-driven innovation and digital transformation. The event was also meant to provide regional inputs and direction ahead of the national-level summit in 2026.
