TLDR: At the ‘Technology for a Better Tomorrow’ conclave in Bengaluru, leaders from corporate, tech, and non-profit sectors emphasized the critical role of technology, particularly generative AI, in driving social change. Discussions highlighted AI’s potential in education and healthcare, with examples like affordable AI child tutors. A key takeaway was the necessity of deep community engagement and trust-building to ensure sustainable and impactful tech solutions, moving beyond a ‘for them’ to a ‘with them’ approach.
Bengaluru recently hosted the ‘Technology for a Better Tomorrow’ conclave, an impactful event organized by the Indian Institute of Technology, Bengaluru’s Innovation Centre. The day-long gathering brought together a diverse group of corporate leaders, technology experts, and representatives from non-governmental organizations. Their collective aim was to explore and emphasize how technology-led initiatives can be effectively leveraged to foster social change and enhance community well-being across India.
The conclave featured a series of keynote addresses and dynamic panel discussions that showcased real-world applications of technology for social good. Panelists presented inspiring projects, ranging from initiatives focused on cleaning up city markets to those providing crucial water resources to drought-prone regions. These examples underscored the transformative power of combining innovative technological solutions with genuine community engagement.
Dr. Lakshmi Jagannathan, CEO of IIT Bengaluru’s Innovation Centre, articulated the core mission of the conclave. She stated, “Tech for Impact Conclave brings together key stakeholders to share ideas and explore how we can work together to build and scale technology solutions for a better future. This includes healthcare, environment, equality, empowerment, and other Sustainable Development Goals.” Her remarks highlighted the event’s commitment to addressing broader societal challenges through collaborative technological efforts.
A significant portion of the discussions revolved around the burgeoning field of generative AI and its vast potential applications, particularly in critical sectors such as education and healthcare. Abhishek Ranjan of Brillio provided a compelling example of AI’s accessibility and affordability, noting, “A tutor for your kids will cost you a few thousand rupees a month. An AI child tutor will cost you $20 a year. And it is showing significant improvement because it’s data-driven.” This statement underscored the potential for AI to democratize access to quality learning resources.
Further reinforcing AI’s practical impact, representatives from Juniper and CGI India shared their experiences. They detailed how they are utilizing AI and various digital platforms to enhance rural education outcomes and provide valuable assistance to government departments. Their insights highlighted AI-enabled learning as a crucial tool for bridging educational gaps for underprivileged children who often lack access to traditional quality teaching resources.
However, the conclave also stressed that technology alone is insufficient. A recurring and vital theme throughout the discussions was the indispensable need for trust-building and deep, authentic engagement with communities. Speakers from the non-profit sector strongly advocated for solutions that are co-designed *with* communities, rather than simply *for* them.
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Sashi Rajamani of SVP India emphasized this collaborative spirit, stating, “Shared need and the passion to bring in actions that solve the problems the community faces are essential. Building and bringing stakeholders together and carrying them along is more important. Once you build trust, you are no longer seen as a threat to the community or other stakeholders.” Anil Misquith of Accord echoed this sentiment, issuing a cautionary note against top-down approaches: “You cannot develop something and hand it over to them. It has to be with them, or else the minute you walk away, it’s going to fall apart.” These quotes collectively underscored the human element as paramount to the success and sustainability of any ‘tech for good’ initiative.
