Smriti Irani Urges Women to Embrace AI at India AI Impact Summit 2026
Former Union minister and BJP leader Smriti Irani called for greater adoption of artificial intelligence among women while addressing the India AI Impact Summit 2026. Speaking at the Tata AI Sakhi Immersion Program, she encouraged families to collectively adopt AI as a tool for empowerment. Quoting “saas bhi kabhi bahu thi,” Irani stressed that teaching both mothers-in-law and daughters-in-law AI skills could accelerate the country’s economic progress.
Drawing an analogy from the Mahabharata, she described AI as a modern-day “saarthi” for women. “Like Lord Krishna guided Arjuna, AI can guide women — only the chariot is now a mobile phone,” she said. Highlighting women’s economic achievements, she noted that 10 crore women in self-help groups have handled Rs 12 lakh crore in credit with a 96% repayment rate. She also pointed to the contributions of over 30 lakh women in handicrafts and handloom exports and the growing participation of women in digital literacy and justice access initiatives.
Irani urged women to take charge of development rather than remain passive participants. Addressing nearly 1,600 attendees, she encouraged them to “control the steering wheel” of progress. At the same time, she cautioned against irresponsible AI use, advising participants not to blindly trust AI-generated information or share sensitive details such as Aadhaar numbers, bank account information, or passwords.
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