Ashwini Vaishnaw Unveils AI-MET Roadmap to Transform Manufacturing

Held at the India AI Impact Summit 2026 at Bharat Mandapam, the session was curated by NAMTECH under the leadership of the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY).

Union Minister for Electronics and Information Technology Shri Ashwini Vaishnaw on Tuesday chaired a high-level strategic convening of global academicians, industry leaders, policymakers and technology experts to define India’s Artificial Intelligence (AI) priorities for the Manufacturing Engineering Technology (MET) ecosystem.

Held at the India AI Impact Summit 2026 at Bharat Mandapam, the session was curated by NAMTECH under the leadership of the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY). The meeting focused on accelerating AI adoption in manufacturing, strengthening skills development and ensuring inclusive industrial growth aligned with the vision of Viksit Bharat @2047.

Global Industry and Academia Join Forces

The convening brought together representatives from:

• Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT)

• Indian Institute of Technology Madras (IIT-M)

• Leading universities and research institutions

• Microsoft India

• Dell Technologies

• Cisco India

• Hitachi India

• Tata Electronics

• Rockwell Automation

• Palo Alto Networks

• PayPal

• Intel

The discussion underscored AI as a foundational enabler of productivity, competitiveness and innovation across India’s industrial sectors.

Launch of AI-MET White Paper Concept

A key highlight of the event was the launch of the White Paper Concept on “AI for Manufacturing, Engineering Technology (AI-MET)” by Minister Vaishnaw.

The white paper outlines a strategic framework to embed AI across manufacturing value chains, driving:

• Higher productivity and operational efficiency

• Sustainable and decarbonised industrial growth

• Global competitiveness

• Inclusive participation of MSMEs

It proposes coordinated pathways for industry, academia and policymakers to accelerate AI adoption across India’s MET ecosystem.

MET Platform to Anchor Industrial Transformation

Building on the Industry-Academia Roundtable held in May 2025, the event advanced plans for the Manufacturing Engineering Technology (MET) Platform, convened and catalysed by NAMTECH.

The MET Platform aims to establish a shared governance and execution model bringing together government, industry and academia to position manufacturing at the centre of India’s accelerated growth and decarbonisation agenda.

AI as a Pillar of Viksit Bharat

Speaking at the summit, Minister Vaishnaw said AI will play a transformative role in India’s development journey.

“Artificial intelligence is a foundational pillar in India’s journey towards Viksit Bharat. By integrating AI across Manufacturing Engineering Technology, we can enhance productivity, strengthen competitiveness, and unlock new opportunities for innovation and entrepreneurship,” he said.

He emphasised the importance of preparing India’s workforce for the future and enabling both enterprises and MSMEs to benefit from AI-led transformation.

“My request to NAMTECH would be to use this opportunity to develop the next level of talent that can enable India to emerge as a major manufacturer of precision equipment,” he added.

From Capability to Application

Prof. Eric Grimson, Chancellor for Academic Advancement at MIT, noted that India’s next AI phase must focus on practical deployment.

“The next phase of India’s AI journey will be defined by its ability to move from capability to application — embedding AI across industry, enterprises and MSMEs, investing in skills at scale, and ensuring that innovation remains inclusive,” he said.

Industry leaders echoed this sentiment, highlighting the need for shop-floor deployment and workforce upskilling.

Pravin Panchagnula of Microsoft India stressed that adoption across MSMEs will determine AI’s impact on India’s industrial value chains, while Cisco India’s Vinod Karumampoyil emphasised application-oriented skills and industry-academia collaboration.

Cybersecurity and Automation at the Core

Swapna Bapat of Palo Alto Networks underscored the importance of secure operational technology (OT) systems in AI-driven manufacturing, warning that poorly designed OT infrastructure poses significant risks.

Dilip Sawhney of Rockwell Automation added that the real value of AI will be realised when integrated into industrial automation systems and deployed at scale across production environments.

Skilling for Day-Zero Deployment

Dr. Ibrahim Hafeezur Rehman, Operating Director General and CEO of NAMTECH, highlighted the importance of real-world industrial contexts in education.

“By grounding education in real-world industrial contexts, NAMTECH aims to enable day-zero deployment of talent into production environments,” he said.

Through the MET Platform and global partnerships, scalable models are being developed to prepare India’s workforce for AI-driven manufacturing transformation.

A Collaborative Blueprint for Industrial AI

The summit concluded with a shared commitment to fostering sustained collaboration across academia, industry and government. The AI-MET initiative signals India’s ambition to move beyond digital capability and position AI as a core engine of industrial growth, sustainability and global competitiveness.