AGE India Co-Organizes and Powers Inclusive AI Conversations at AI Impact Summit 2026 Pre-Event

Founder of the Association for Gender Equality AGE India, SSeema Giill, drives gender equality through strategic partnerships in startups, media, and development. As co-organizer of the pre-summit event at IIT Delhi's Research and Innovation Park, AGE India spotlighted “AI for ALL, AI by HER, and YUVAi,” uniting founders, investors, CSR leaders, and partners like FITT–IIT Delhi, Kotak BizLabs, UnnatiAI, Oxford Saïd Business School, and EcoRatings. The initiative pushes resilient ecosystems for Tier 2/3 cities and women-led AI ventures, transforming innovation into a nationwide movement.

BIGSTORY Network: Media Backbone for Impactful Narratives

BIGSTORY Network, founded by Sseema Giill, CEO of Screenage Media Pvt. Ltd. and Media Advisor at FITT’s Media Centre — acted as media partner for the event, amplifying development stories with journalistic rigor.

Event Highlights

The pre-summit event at Research and Innovation Park, IIT Delhi, united founders, investors, CSR leaders, media professionals, and partners for dynamic discussions on “AI for ALL, AI by HER, and YUVAi.” Hosted in collaboration with FITT–IIT Delhi, Kotak BizLabs, UnnatiAI, Oxford Saïd Business School partners, AGE India, and EcoRatings, the evening emphasized inclusive AI ecosystems for Tier 2/3 innovators and women-led ventures. This gathering advanced the AI Impact Summit 2026 vision of democratizing opportunities beyond metros.

Chief Guest Insights

Abhishek Singh, IAS (1995-batch), Additional Secretary at MeitY and CEO of India AI Mission, delivered keynote remarks on ethical AI, digital skilling, and multilingual solutions. Drawing from his roles in MyGov and Digital India, he stressed technology's role in bridging geography, language, and social gaps for equitable innovation. His address aligned perfectly with themes of people-centric AI progress.

Ms. Anna Roy, Principle, economic advisor of Niti Aayog is a 1992 batch officer of the Indian Economics service and one of India's leading exports in technology policy and economics strategy. She has been a key architect of the national strategy on artificial intelligence shaping India's AI-Governance and innovation roadmap. Over her distinguished career, She has held roles in the departments of economic affairs, Ministry of Finance, Ministry of Civil Aviation and has served as officer on special duty to the Finance Minister. 

About the Speakers

Mr. Mudit Kumar

Mudit Kumar, Co-founder and COO of Ideabaaz, represents a new generation of ecosystem builders who see entrepreneurship as a culture, not just a funding transaction or a valuation milestone. Through Ideabaaz as a national platform and startup reality show, he works closely with founders from Tier 2, Tier 3, and even Tier 4 cities, spotlighting deep-tech innovation emerging far beyond the usual metro hubs. His approach centres on “democratization of opportunities” – ensuring that access to capital, mentorship, and markets does not remain captive to Bengaluru, Delhi, Gurgaon, or Mumbai. For him, the real task is to become a true growth partner to founders, investing time, networks, and conviction, not just cheques.

Mr. Himanshu Nivsarkar 

Himanshu Nivsarkar, Executive Vice President and Head of CSR at Kotak Mahindra Bank, leads initiatives that connect responsible finance with innovation, entrepreneurship, and meaningful societal impact. Under the tagline “Hosla Hai to Ho Jaega,” he oversees the Kotak BizLabs accelerator program, designed to bring top-tier incubation and ecosystem support closer to companies located in Tier 2 and Tier 3 cities, not only in metro centres. His perspective emphasises that if India is to grow responsibly towards its 2047 aspirations, every “engine” of the country must be switched on, including smaller cities and their local ecosystems. By supporting technology, sustainability, and women-led ventures, he champions CSR as a catalyst, not just philanthropy.

Fireside Chat: Seema Gill in Conversation at AI Impact Summit 2026 Pre-Event

Opening the Dialogue on Resilient Ecosystems

Seema Gill launched the fireside chat by asking Himanshu Nivsarkar and Mudit Kumar: 

How can India build a startup ecosystem that survives and sustains in every situation, especially for founders far from metro corridors? She further probed: What makes the ecosystem more comfortable and accessible for every individual distant from the startup industry?

Kotak BizLabs: Beyond Courage to Structural Support

Linking to Kotak Mahindra Bank's tagline, she asked Nivsarkar: 

Is “Hosla Hai to Ho Jaega” courage alone enough to start and sustain this ecosystem, or does India need more?

Nivsarkar replied that the tagline fuels Kotak BizLabs, an accelerator bridging companies across India with clustered incubators by delivering ecosystem support directly to Tier 2 and Tier 3 cities, avoiding metro migration. For him, CSR today is “more than philanthropy”; it is about supporting initiatives, innovations, and startup systems in a way that creates long-term, structural change.

Following up further:

Do Kotak’s visuals and videos representing “real India” and ground-level Bharat reflect a conscious agenda?

Nivsarkar confirmed it is intentional; Season 1 unexpectedly drew half its applications from non-metros, shaping Season 2's strategy for balanced national growth, rejecting a divided future of metro "developed world" versus lagging Tier 2 cities. On outreach, he highlighted roadshows for awareness, eligibility clarity, and inspiration—like an Indore founder sparked by a five-minute chat two years prior—creating local access points for founders, investors, and stakeholders to build self-sustaining ecosystems.

Media's Revolutionary Role with Ideabaaz

Reflecting on Ideabaaz's name as a "daring Idea-Baaz" uniting metro and rural India, she asked Mudit Kumar: 

How can media make a big difference in startup journeys and the ecosystem?

Kumar praised such gatherings for uniting founders, VCs, academia, corporates, and government into one platform. He analogized media and cricket as emotional unifiers in India, turning historical movements into revolutions; portraying entrepreneurship as a movement demands media to spotlight its purpose, fueling "purposeful entrepreneurship."

Partnerships Over Empowerment

Does Ideabaaz reserve space specifically for women entrepreneurs?

Kumar argued "empowerment" can undermine; Ideabaaz acts as true growth partners. Tier 3/4 women excel in deep-tech, raising capital and securing IIT Madras incubation—he championed "democratization of opportunities" open to any founder with idea and intent, linking to "hosla" via pre-capital investments of time, networks, and belief.

Share an inspiring story from Ideabaaz's 26 episodes, she requested.

Kumar noted daily shoots yield learnings; capital alone fails—founders require "patient capital" for purchase orders, sales pipelines, and revenue, making it collaborative. Ecosystems must build conviction via communities and brief encouragements, altering destinies and economies while aiding product-to-market navigation.

The biggest realisation, he explained, is that capital alone is not enough. Founders need “patient capital” – not just a cheque, but support in securing their first purchase orders, building sales pipelines, and growing revenue. In his view, capital should not be merely transactional; it should be collaborative.

For Mudit, the ecosystem needs communities that first give conviction to founders. A two-minute conversation or an encouraging word, as Himanshu’s story illustrated, can change a founder’s destiny – and by extension, the destiny of a society and an economy. He argued that the ecosystem must create platforms where stakeholders invest their time, energy, and resources beyond money, helping founders navigate everything from product development to market access.

Honouring the Hidden Struggles

Seema agreed, adding that while “startup” is a fascinating word, behind it lies a different kind of struggle – filled with uncertainty, failure, and often invisible pain. Few people speak about those who do not become unicorns yet their journeys are equally important. She reiterated that if all stakeholders – investors, media, CSR leaders, and institutions like IITs – understand and respect this struggle, the ecosystem can become more humane and supportive. The real question, she said, is not just whether support exists, but how it is provided, and whether it honours founders emotionally, not just commercially.

Final Reflections

As the conversation drew to a close, Himanshu shared one final appeal, linking back to the practical heart of his work. He spoke about the launch of season two of the Kotak BizLabs accelerator, inviting technology, sustainability, and indigenous art-and-culture startups to apply and benefit from partnerships with four incubators, including FITT. The program is meant for companies with some revenue – beyond the idea stage – and is designed to accelerate their growth through a blend of capital, mentorship, and ecosystem access.

Mudit, in his final remarks, challenged the ecosystem to shift its gaze. If India really wants to “foster” its startup landscape, he argued, the focus should not be on counting unicorns and soonicorns or chasing billion-dollar valuations. Instead, the focus should be on solving problems faced by a billion people. If founders work on real, large-scale problems, he believes “the billion-dollar valuation will automatically follow.”

Journey Over Destination: AGE India's Ethos

Seema closed the session with a reflection that spoke directly to AGE India’s ethos. Life, she said, is not only about the destination; it is about the journey. In the context of startups, this means celebrating the process of building – with passion, resilience, and a commitment to a larger purpose – rather than only the final valuation or exit. For AGE India, Kotak Mahindra, Ideabaaz, FITT, and all partners present, the event marked a shared commitment to creating an ecosystem where every founder, especially those from underrepresented geographies and communities, can find not just capital, but courage, community, and a sense of belonging in India’s evolving AI and startup story.

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