Mumbai, Feb. 14 -- ATLAS SkillTech University and ISDI - School of Design & Innovation, in association with the Government of India's Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY), Digital India and IndiaAI, hosted the Official Pre Summit of the AI Impact Summit 2026 at its Mumbai campus. The pre-summitestablished the ATLAS ISDI campus as a dynamic forum for advancing design-ledthinking and future-focused skill development in an AI-driven world, whileaccelerating national and global dialogue on inclusive, responsible and high-impactAI ahead of the main summit scheduled in New Delhi on 19-20 February 2026.
Highlighting the significance of ATLAS SkillTech University and ISDI's association with the AI Impact Summit, Siddharth Shahani, Co-Founder and Executive President,ATLAS SkillTech University, said, "India's AI moment cannot be built on technologyalone. This association reflects our shared belief that intelligence must be designedwith human intent, strong governance and real social impact. By bringing theseconversations into the university ecosystem, we are preparing future designers,technologists and leaders to engage with AI not just as a tool, but as a responsibility."
The pre-summit, themed "Human-First Intelligence: Learning, Leadership and SocialImpact," featured lightning talks, panel discussions, masterclass and an AI AgentBuildathon, bringing together leaders from academia, industry and policy. Speakersincluded Sameer Rawal (Digital Impact Square - a TCS Foundation initiative), NehaShivran (Kissht), Indranil Chandra (Upstox), Arushi Sethi (HurixDigital), Kirti Poonia(Caimera.ai), and Aryan Singh and Rohit Ghosh (Livespace.ai), among others. Byhosting these future-shaping conversations on campus and connecting with the AIMumbai Community to co-create a stronger AI ecosystem, ATLAS SkillTech Universityreinforced the vital role universities play in developing future-ready leaders equippedto design, govern and deploy AI with responsibility, intent and societal impact.
The pre-summit opened with a keynote address by Siddharth Shahani where hearticulated how Design + AI together form India's new power stack. Emphasising that AI brings speed, scale and optimisation while design provides direction, restraint andhuman alignment, he reinforced that human-first intelligence is not a feature, but adesign choice. He also highlighted the growing importance of multidisciplinary AItalent and reframed data governance as a trust architecture rather than acompliance exercise.
A panel discussion titled 'Building India's Impact AI Stack: Data, Design andGovernance' featured Arushi Sethi, Kirti Poonia, Neha Shivran and Sameer Rawal ,exploring how India can build scalable, responsible and impact-driven AI systems by aligning thoughtful design, robust data practices and strong governance frameworks.
Industry insights were further strengthened through two lightning talks. Neha Shivran, Co-Founder, Kissht, spoke on measuring the success of AI interventions by linkingdesign and innovation to tangible organisational outcomes. Indranil Chandra ,Architect - ML & Data Engineer at Upstox, delivered a session on data governance inagentic AI systems, highlighting governance-by-design, accountability and the risks of ungoverned autonomy.
Hands-on learning formed a core part of the pre-summit through an AI AgentBuildathon led by LYZR.AI, where participants ideated, designed and builtautonomous AI agents addressing real-world challenges, demonstrating the criticalrole of design in shaping intent, behaviour and ethics in intelligent systems. The day concluded with a Livespace.ai Masterclass led by Aryan Singh and Rohit Ghosh, showcasing how AI is transforming spatial design across physical and digitalenvironments.
As the Official Pre-Summit to the AI Impact Summit 2026, the event underscoredATLAS SkillTech University's commitment to advancing national and global AIdiscourse through education. By bringing human-first AI conversations into theclassroom, the university is actively shaping a generation of leaders equipped to buildethical, inclusive and high-impact AI systems for the future.
About ATLAS SkillTech University
ATLAS SkillTech University, located in the heart of Mumbai's business district, is India'sfirst urban, multidisciplinary university and the youngest in the country to beaccredited with a NAAC A grade. Pioneering a new model of higher education, ATLASintegrates global collaborations, industry partnerships and an innovation-firstapproach to prepare future-ready leaders. Guided by the principles of India'sNational Education Policy 2020, ATLAS offers cutting-edge programs across fournew-age streams-Design & Innovation, Management & Entrepreneurship, DigitalTechnology and Law. Its futuristic model has been co-created with an internationalcommunity of scholars, academicians, industry experts and thought leaders, makingit a hub where design, technology, strategy and leadership converge. For more information, visit: atlasuniversity.edu.in
About ISDI School of Design and Innovation:
Known as one of the best design schools in India, ATLAS ISDI brings truly world-class design education to India with a global curricular collaboration with Parson's Schoolof Design, and world-renowned faculty comprising leading designers, academicians,industry practitioners and scholars. Centered in the heart of India's hub of creativeinnovation, Mumbai, ATLAS ISDI School of Design & Innovation stands at theintersection of Art, Design, Entrepreneurship & Technology. For more information, visit: atlasuniversity.edu.in/schools/isdi
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Published by HT Digital Content Services with permission from PNN.