A defining moment for a programme at its very beginning.
At Black Swan Summit India 2026, 12 organisations came together to sign a strategic MoU in support of BharatNetra focused on showcasing India’s digital finance and FinTech talent on a global stage.
The MoU signing was witnessed by Dr. Mukesh Mahaling Hon’ble Minister, Electronics & Information Technology Department, Government of Odisha and formalised by Shri Vishal Kumar Dev, Additional Chief Secretary, Electronics & IT Department, Government of Odisha, and Sopnendu Mohanty, Group CEO, Global Finance & Technology Network (GFTN)
By committing early to BharatNetra, these corporate champions signal collective belief in the programme’s potential, demonstrating how cross-sector collaboration can shape ecosystems from the ground up.
Participating organisations include:
Advanze Tech, Annapurna Tech Universe, Bajaj General Insurance Limited ESTPL Engeniuspark Technologies Pvt Ltd Progcap Propelld ShovelTech Solutions, SPICE MONEY Surfin Meta Bharat, Symbo Insurtech, Universal Pensions, Vayana
The Black Swan Moment: Impact of AI on Society and Governance
At Black Swan Summit India 2026, our esteemed panellists explored AI as an unprecedented force shaping creativity, governance, geopolitics and human potential.
Shekhar Kapur, Film, Television, Theatre Director & Producer, Entrepreneur of Quasar Films, spoke about the pace and unpredictability of technological change, arguing that AI will not replace human work but expand it, lowering barriers to entry and unlocking a new surge of creativity and self-expression.
Jawed Ashraf, Chairman, India Trade Promotion Organisation; Former High Commissioner of India in Singapore and Ambassador to France and Monaco, Indian Foreign Service, highlighted AI as a strategic pillar of national power, intersecting talent, finance, chips, computing, and diplomacy. Drawing parallels with India’s success in Digital Public Infrastructure, he emphasised the need to build people-centric applications, avoid fear-driven arms races, and advance international governance frameworks to ensure AI is deployed for human good.
Debjani Ghosh, Distinguished Fellow, NITI Aayog, underlined that AI places expertise at everyone’s fingertips, accelerating learning and productivity across sectors. She stressed that skills, trust, imagination, and effective use of infrastructure and human nature — not the size of models — will define leadership in the AI era.
The session provided a powerful reflection on how India can shape AI with purpose, inclusion, and global relevance.
Opening the final day of Black Swan Summit India 2026, Dr. Mukesh Mahaling, Minister for Health and Family Welfare, Electronics and Information Technology, and Parliamentary Affairs, Government of Odisha, shared Odisha’s roadmap to become a hub for digital innovation, AI and global FinTech talent.
Speaking with Sopnendu Mohanty, Group CEO, Global Finance and Technology Network (GFTN), the Minister highlighted the State’s early adoption of an AI policy, plans to integrate AI into school and higher education curricula, and the importance of global exposure for students through initiatives such as BharatNetra.
From undersea cable infrastructure in Puri to strengthening data centres, Global Capability Centres (GCC) and semiconductor readiness, the address reinforced Odisha’s long-term commitment to building a future-ready digital economy powered by confident, skilled youth.
Connecting founders to global opportunity
At Black Swan Summit India 2026, Global Finance & Technology Network (GFTN) and the Startup Policy Forum India formalised a collaboration with a strategic MoU signing in the presence of Hon’ble E&IT Minister Dr. Mukesh Mahaling. This partnership is designed to create a seamless bridge between India’s vibrant startup ecosystem and global markets; opening doors to international networks, investment channels, mentorship opportunities and curated market access for high-potential ventures.
Together, they aim to strengthen pathways for Indian startups to scale globally and contribute to the broader innovation economy.
Odisha’s vision for AI, FinTech and global capability creation is taking centre stage at Black Swan Summit India 2026.
As articulated by Shri Vishal Kumar Dev, Additional Chief Secretary, Electronics & IT, Government of Odisha, the state is moving decisively from policy intent to on-ground execution, using technology as a driver of jobs, skills, and long-term economic value, not just adoption.
Under the BharatNetra initiative, and in partnership with the Global Finance & Technology Network (GFTN), Odisha is building a credible, globally connected platform that links talent to opportunity, policy to pilots, and innovation to implementation.
With Bhubaneswar hosting global policymakers, investors, regulators, and technology leaders on 5–6 February 2026, the Summit reflects how states can lead India’s digital transformation with clarity, confidence, and scale.
This is what execution-led governance looks like.
And this is Odisha stepping forward to enable the mission of Viksit Bharat.
Past efforts:
Hon’ble CM Shri Naveen Patnaik with Secretary to CM (5T) Shri VK Pandian at the Singapore Airport while going to Japan on a week-long visit.
Rs 1.60 Cr Singapore trip, Rs 82 L Italy visit’: Foreign trips of Naveen Patnaik, V.K. Pandian under scanner. Questions have been raised over why a special aircraft was used for the Singapore visit, with demands for a detailed investigation. Notably, there is said to be no official information available regarding the Italy tour.
Serious allegations have been raised over foreign trips undertaken during the Biju Janata Dal (BJD) ruling in Odisha, with claims that overseas visits were marked by luxury and enjoyment rather than genuine investment promotion. It is alleged that BJD Supremo Naveen Patnaik, accompanied by V.K. Pandian, travelled abroad under the pretext of attracting investment.
It is assumed that, maybe, their visit to Singapore then brought a fruitful result happening today in the heart of Bhubaneswar — the Black Swan Summit India.
