The session brought together a remarkable array of minds from across sectors, including Andrey Sobolev, Trade Representative of the Russian Federation in India; Alexander Pavlov, Chief Managing Partner for AI Development, VEB.RF; Alexander Bodrov, Deputy Director General, Video Game Industry Development Organization; Andrey Neznamov, Managing Director and Head of the Human-Centered AI Center, Sber; Debjit Chakraborty, CEO & Executive Director, Indo Russia“Innopraktika” Technology Hub, Anagh Singh, Investor Growth, Singularity AMC; and Prof. Sangeeta Shukla, Vice Chancellor, CCS University to name a few.
Valentin Makarov set the tone by invoking three decades of bilateral engagement, describing the relationship between the two nations as one built on deep mutual respect and shared ambition.
Championing Human-Centric and Inclusive AI
A recurring theme across the session was the imperative to place human beings at the heart of AI-driven transformation. Speakers stressed that AI-enabled growth must preserve individual dignity and remain employment-oriented, augmenting human capability rather than displacing workers. Prof. Sangeeta Shukla, Vice Chancellor at CCS University, echoed this from an academic standpoint, emphasising the role of education in preparing citizens to thrive alongside AI.
AI for National Security and Strategic Sectors
The panel acknowledged AI’s growing role in national security and defence infrastructure in both countries, calling for mutual transparency, ethical governance, and responsible data sharing. Speakers underscored the need for joint development of indigenous AI capabilities and resilient, sovereign technology ecosystems free from external dependency.
AI Across Sectors: Education, Healthcare, Finance, and Governance
The panel further outlined the fields where AI can make the greatest difference including personalised learning in education; early detection and resource optimisation in healthcare, especially in tier two and tier three cities; fraud detection in finance; and reduced friction in e-governance.
Across all sectors, the speakers called for transparent, ethical, and scalable AI systems that serve people rather than create dependency. With 67% of India’s population below the age of 30 and 1.5 billion citizens, the country’s human resource potential was described as unparalleled, and a natural complement to Russia’s deep technological expertise.