New Delhi: Union education minister Dharmendra Pradhan on Tuesday chaired a roundtable with founders of 10 Indian startups using artificial intelligence (AI) in education, as the Centre steps up efforts to integrate AI into the country’s learning ecosystem.The interaction, held at IIT Delhi, brought together policymakers, academic leaders and technology entrepreneurs to discuss how AI can align with the objectives of the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020. The meeting is part of a broader series of initiatives by the ministry of education to harness AI for transforming K-12 learning, test preparation, upskilling, language learning and skill education, with a focus on underserved regions.Participating startups included Arivihan, Fermi AI, KhareAI, Seekho, SpeakX, SuperKalam, SuperNova, Vedantu, ConveGenius and Virohan. The roundtable was attended by ministers of state Sukanta Majumdar and Jayant Chaudhary, along with senior officials including Sanjay Kumar, secretary, school education and literacy; Vineet Joshi, secretary, higher education; and directors of IIT Delhi and IIT Madras.Pradhan said he was encouraged by the work of home-grown founders building indigenous “AI-powered solutions from India to the world” to redefine the educational landscape. He noted that many founders hailed from middle-class and tier-III city backgrounds and said their understanding of India-centric educational challenges inspires confidence.Emphasising AI’s role in advancing the vision of Viksit Bharat @ 2047, Pradhan said technology is a powerful instrument of empowerment and inclusion. He urged startups to develop solutions rooted in Indian values, languages and contexts, while maintaining global relevance, and assured govt support in building digital public infrastructure in education.The roundtable serves as a precursor to the India AI Impact Summit. The ministry will also host the Bharat Bodhan AI Conclave on February 12–13 at Bharat Mandapam, New Delhi, bringing together policymakers from the Centre and states, researchers, academic institutions and industry leaders to deliberate on AI’s strategic role in education.Ashutosh Sharma, head of investments and M&A for India and Southeast Asia at Prosus, said education technology should be viewed as a national capability rather than a short-term commercial opportunity. He said AI marks a historic inflection point that can help deliver quality learning to every learner, irrespective of geography or income.
