STATE TIMES NEWS
LEH: The Lt. Governor of Ladakh, Kavinder Gupta, on Wednesday underscored Ladakh’s potential to emerge as India’s first Artificial Intelligence (AI) state and a model of sustainable and inclusive development. He was addressing the Pre-Artificial Intelligence Impact Summit 2026 organised by the IT Department, UT Ladakh.
Welcoming participants from across the country, Gupta noted that India is hosting its largest AI Summit in New Delhi under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, positioning the nation as a global hub for responsible and human-centric AI. He said the pre-summit in Ladakh serves as a vital platform to align the Union Territory’s AI roadmap with the national vision of Digital India and the India AI Mission.
Emphasising that technology must remain people-centric, the Lt. Governor stated that AI should strengthen governance, enhance citizen services, and foster inclusive growth. “Technology should serve people, not the other way around,” he remarked.
Gupta highlighted AI’s transformative potential across sectors such as sustainable tourism, agriculture and animal husbandry, healthcare, education and skill development, energy and water management, disaster response, infrastructure, governance, and even space and astronomy. He observed that Ladakh’s unique geographical and environmental context presents challenges to conventional development models but offers immense scope for AI-driven innovation.
He further pointed out that with nearly 60 percent of its population comprising youth, Ladakh stands to benefit significantly from AI-led entrepreneurship and skill development. The region’s cold climate, he said, offers advantages for energy-efficient data centres, while its renewable energy potential-solar, hydro, geothermal, and hydrogen-can sustainably power AI infrastructure.
Highlighting the need for robust digital connectivity, Gupta proposed establishing an AI Centre of Excellence in Ladakh to develop tailored solutions and serve as a model for high-altitude and border regions. He called for collaboration among government, academia, industry, and civil society to ensure Ladakh becomes a creator of AI solutions.
Earlier, the Lt. Governor launched the e-Seva Model and Village Assessment Module portals. Chief Secretary Ashish Kundra and Administrative Secretary IT Shashanka Ala also addressed the gathering.
