CEO AI Conclave 2026 | Welcome Address by Rajiv Anand | Bombay Chamber (Part 1)

Distinguished CEOs, ST members of the board, members of the Bombay Chamber Council, generals, industry and technology leaders, good evening and very warm welcome to you. Thank you for being here. It's truly a privilege to welcome such an extraordinary gathering of leaders for a CEOs AI Conclave organized by the Bombay Chamber. For two centuries, the 190-year-old chamber has served as one of India's most influential platforms for business dialogue and policy engagement. Today, as we convene to discuss AI, we continue that tradition of examining the forces that will shape the next chapter of India's economic transformation. There could hardly be a more fitting city for this conversation than Mumbai. The financial capital of India and a city that has long been the engine of Indian enterprise. From finance and banking to pharmaceuticals, logistics, media and manufacturing, and of course the fast-growing digital economy, Mumbai reflects the diversity, scale and ambition of Indian business. Today we stand at another pivotal moment of that journey. AI, artificial intelligence, is no longer a distant technological possibility. It has rapidly moved from research labs to boardrooms, operating systems, supply chains, financial platforms and customer experiences. What we are witnessing is not merely an adoption of new technology. It is a structural shift in how businesses will operate, compete and create value. And India is uniquely positioned to lead in this transformation. Over the past decade, India has built one of the world's largest and most powerful digital ecosystems. A digital public infrastructure from Aadhaar to UPI and the broader India Stack has demonstrated how technology can be deployed at scale, unprecedented scale, to enable financial inclusion, digital commerce and innovation. Millions of Indians interact daily with AI-enabled platforms, whether through digital payments, e-commerce, customer service systems, healthcare platforms and smart governance initiatives. At the same time, India possesses one of the world's largest and most dynamic technology talent pools. Our engineers, data scientists and entrepreneurs are contributing to global AI innovation, while our startup ecosystem continues to produce breakthrough solutions across sectors. Increasingly, global companies are also looking to India not only as a technology services hub but as a center of AI research, product development and innovation. Recognizing this opportunity, the Government of India has also taken significant steps to build the country's AI ecosystem through initiatives such as the India AI Mission, investments in AI research and compute infrastructure, and policies designed to encourage responsible innovation. But while governments can create enabling frameworks, the real transformation will happen inside enterprises. The decisive question before us therefore is: how will Indian businesses harness AI to drive productivity, innovation and global competitiveness? For CEOs and business leaders, AI is no longer a side project or a technology experiment. It is rapidly becoming a strategic capability that will shape the future of every industry. In manufacturing, AI is enabling predictive maintenance, quality control and smart production systems. In financial services, one of Mumbai and India's strongest sectors, it is transforming fraud detection, credit analytics, algorithmic trading and personalized financial services. In healthcare and pharmaceuticals, it is accelerating drug discovery, diagnostics and patient care. In logistics and infrastructure, it is optimizing supply chains that support one of the world's largest and fastest-growing economies. And in media and entertainment, another sector deeply rooted in Mumbai, AI is redefining content creation, audience engagement and digital distribution. AI is also beginning to transform education and learning, enabling adaptive learning platforms and new ways of building the skills that India's future workforce needs. However, with these extraordinary opportunities also come important responsibilities. As AI systems influence decisions that affect businesses, consumers and society, questions of trust, ethics, transparency and accountability will become central. Data governance, algorithmic fairness, cyber security and regulatory alignment are now boardroom discussions rather than purely technical concerns. This means that AI transformation is fundamentally a leadership transformation. CEOs today are not merely adopters of technology; they are the architects of responsible AI-driven enterprises. The theme of today's forum therefore centers around three key priorities for leadership in the age of AI. One: AI as a strategic imperative. AI must move beyond isolated pilots and proof-of-concept initiatives. Leading organizations are embedding AI across the enterprise, from operations and product innovation to customer experience and strategic decision-making. Two: Responsible and trusted AI. Trust will be the defining factor for sustainable AI adoption. Companies must build governance frameworks that ensure transparency, fairness, data protection and ethical deployment of AI systems. Three: The future of work in India. AI will reshape roles, skills and organizational structures. The most forward-looking companies are investing in reskilling, creating AI-ready cultures and empowering employees to work alongside intelligent systems. For India, the stakes are particularly significant. Over the past three decades, the country successfully built a globally competitive IT services industry that transformed our economic trajectory and positioned India as a technology powerhouse. AI now presents an opportunity to build the next wave of global leadership, this time in AI-driven products, platforms and enterprise innovation. But achieving this vision will require collaboration between industry, academia, government and startups. It will require investment in research, computing infrastructure and talent development. And ultimately, it will require bold leadership from CEOs who are willing to reimagine how their organizations operate in an AI-driven world. This is precisely why gatherings such as today's are so important. The Bombay Chamber has long played a vital role in bringing together leaders to deliberate on emerging economic trends and policy challenges. Today's discussion continues that legacy by providing a platform where CEOs can exchange ideas, share experiences and collectively shape the future of AI adoption in Indian industry. Over the course of today's forum, we will hear from distinguished speakers who are leading AI transformation across sectors. Their insights will help us move beyond the hype surrounding AI and focus on practical strategies for scaling adoption, managing organizational change and building responsible AI systems. My hope is that today's discussions will lead to three important outcomes: one, strategic clarity on how Indian enterprises can deploy AI at scale; two, responsible leadership in building trusted AI ecosystems; and three, collaborative momentum to strengthen India's position in the global AI landscape. India has repeatedly demonstrated its ability to transform technology into economic opportunity with the right vision, partnerships and leadership. Artificial intelligence can become a powerful catalyst for innovation, productivity and inclusive growth across our nation. Later today, we will unveil the CEOs AI Playbook. This playbook is a collaborative effort between the Bombay Chamber and the Indian Express Group, bringing together the collective wisdom of nearly 50 of India's leading CEOs across diverse industry sectors. Leaders who are not observing disruption from the sidelines but architecting it from within. I thank all my fellow authors featured here for their valuable insights and their support in making this happen. Thank you. Let me once again extend my warmest welcome to all of you. Your presence here reflects a shared commitment to shaping the future of Indian enterprise. Thank you so much.