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AI is no longer a buzzword—it is rapidly becoming the fundamental infrastructure that powers how people find work, how businesses grow, and how cities operate. For young people, AI is transforming the tasks they perform, the skills that hold value, and the opportunities for earning wages and advancing their careers. For businesses, AI helps reduce costs, speed up product development, and meet evolving consumer expectations of speed, personalisation, and trust. For cities, AI offers the opportunity to deliver public services more efficiently, affordably, and reliably—if deployed responsibly. India now needs practical roadmaps: which skills to build, which tools to try, which domains to prioritise, and which simple metrics to track progress. At the same time, strong guardrails are necessary to ensure that innovation remains fair, inclusive, and trustworthy. This event is being organised by ORF in collaboration with XIM University, Bhubaneswar as a pre-summit event under the aegis of the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY), in the lead-up to the AI Impact Summit 2026, which India will chair. The event will comprise two round table discussions. While the first session will discuss how AI is transforming markets and jobs, the second session will focus on the role of AI in urban planning.
10:00 - 10:05 (IN)
Student Emcee
10:05 - 10:10 (IN)
10:10 - 11:20 (IN)
Kajri Misra, Dean, School of Human Settlements, XIM University, Bhubaneswar
10:20 - 10:25 (IN)
Fr. K. S. Casimir, SJ, Vice Chancellor, XIM University, Bhubaneswar
10:25 - 10:30 (IN)
Soumya Bhowmick, Fellow, ORF
10:30 - 10:45 (IN)
A big-picture overview of how AI is reshaping jobs, markets, and cities. From automation vs. augmentation of work, to wage gaps, productivity, new occupations, consumer demand, and urban innovation, the presentation will connect global trends to India’s context. It will touch on labour market shifts, MSMEs, digital infrastructure, and practical applications in urban planning and public services. The emphasis will be on clear policy levers and practical metrics to track progress.
Arya Roy Bardhan, Junior Fellow, ORF
10:45 - 10:50 (IN)
Tathagata Chatterji, Professor (Urban Management and Governance), SHS, XIM University, Bhubaneswar
10:50 - 11:05 (IN)
11:05 - 12:05 (IN)
AI is reshaping both work and markets. On the work side, it is automating some tasks while elevating the value of others, making practical skills—such as apprenticeships, micro-credentials, and project portfolios—more critical than ever. On the product side, AI enables businesses to design faster, operate leaner, and meet growing consumer expectations for trust, speed, and personalisation. This session will explore how universities and employers can better align talent supply with demand, and how startups and MSMEs can use AI to deliver trusted products. The discussion will focus on practical steps that reduce hiring frictions, expand access to fair first jobs, and help businesses turn ideas into scalable offerings.
Guiding Questions:
Speakers:
Moderator
12:05 - 13:05 (IN)
Indian cities are growing, but they face tight budgets. AI can play a pivotal role by improving mobility, utilities, housing, safety, and public finance. It can make services faster, cheaper, and more reliable—but also risks exclusion and surveillance if misused. AI can test road options before construction, flag flood-prone streets, identify water leaks early, and warn of project delays. This roundtable will focus on quick, low-cost initiatives, simple ways to incorporate residents’ feedback, and clear rules that protect privacy. The goal is to deliver a concise action list that any city can use to make daily life safer, faster, cleaner, and fairer for everyone.
Guiding Questions:
Speakers
Moderator
13:05 - 13:10 (IN)
Soumya Bhowmick, Fellow, ORF
13:10 - 13:15 (IN)
Tiyali Bose, Assistant Professor, School of Human Settlements, XIM University, Bhubaneswar
13:15 - 14:30 (IN)
