NEW DELHI — Punjab Education Minister S. Harjot Singh Bains toured exhibition halls at the India AI Impact Expo 2026 inside Bharat Mandapam, focusing on artificial intelligence applications for classrooms across the state. Accompanied by Secretary School Education Sonali Giri, Punjab School Education Board Chairman Dr. Amarpal Singh and Director General of School Education Arvind, Bains held talks with representatives from global firms including Google, Deloitte, Intel, OpenAI, NVIDIA and Dell.

The group zeroed in on integrating AI into teaching methods. Conversations covered personalized adaptive learning, foundational literacy and numeracy tools, AI-assisted assessments, multilingual platforms, teacher support systems and real-time analytics for school oversight. Bains also engaged with officials from the Ministry of Electronics & Information Technology and the Ministry of Education, picking up details on India’s national AI strategy and digital infrastructure models adaptable to Punjab.

Further meetings involved AI specialists from Wadhwani AI, gnani.ai and Bodh.ai. Those discussions highlighted practical tools like adaptive learning systems and monitoring dashboards to boost student outcomes and governance. The minister stopped by the Punjab Startup Pavilion, chatting with local AI ventures backed by state programs. He praised their work as evidence of Punjab’s rising role in edtech innovation.

“This visit equips Punjab’s next generations with tomorrow’s tools,” Bains said. “Interactions with leaders from NVIDIA, Google and OpenAI, plus our homegrown startups, provide a clear roadmap. We’re targeting personalized adaptive learning and foundational literacy and numeracy via AI. Pairing these with policy frameworks from MeitY and the Ministry of Education will make technology a force multiplier for teachers and a personal guide for every student.”

Punjab operates thousands of schools serving millions of students, many in rural areas where tech access lags. State officials aim to deploy AI to address gaps in literacy and basic skills, aligning with national pushes for digital education. The expo, running through the week, draws tech firms, policymakers and innovators to showcase AI’s potential across sectors.

Bains’ trip highlights Punjab’s drive to modernize education amid India’s broader AI ambitions. Recent state initiatives include tablet distribution and digital classrooms, but officials say AI could accelerate progress on foundational skills. No specific timelines or contracts emerged from the meetings, according to participants.

The delegation returned to Chandigarh with plans to evaluate the discussed technologies. Punjab education leaders have signaled interest in pilot programs for AI-driven literacy tools, potentially rolling out in select districts by next year.