UditVani, Jamshedpur : Tata Steel and its social impact arm Tata Steel Foundation enabled over 600 women from grassroots programmes across Jharkhand, Odisha and Ludhiana to participate in the Tata AI Sakhi Immersion at the India AI Impact Summit 2026 held at Bharat Mandapam.
The summit was organised by the Government of India and spearheaded by Tata Consultancy Services.
A total of 635 women -311 from Jharkhand, 315 from Odisha and 9 from Ludhiana -participated in the session. The workshop was graced by Smriti Irani, Chairperson, Alliance for Global Good – Gender, Equity and Equality, CII, along with senior Tata Group leaders and government officials.
The immersive programme focused on using artificial intelligence as a practical tool for livelihood enhancement, entrepreneurship and everyday problem-solving.
Participants represented initiatives in health (MANSI+), agriculture, women’s leadership (Disha), community enterprises (Navjeevan, Srujanika, Pragati) and tribal identity platforms such as Samvaad and Johar Haat.
Through guided hands-on sessions, women explored AI applications for business promotion, product design, documentation, accessing government schemes and skill development.
The initiative aligns with the Foundation’s vision of enabling women to realise their potential with dignity by integrating digital inclusion with existing livelihood opportunities.
Sourav Roy, CEO, Tata Steel Foundation, said the AI Sakhi immersion strengthens women’s leadership and economic participation by equipping them with practical AI tools to expand opportunities and address everyday challenges with confidence.
Adding a cultural dimension, all 1,600 women participants across Tata Group initiatives wore tussar silk shawls sourced from Navjeevan producer groups supported by Tata Steel Foundation, promoting rural artisanship and indigenous textile heritage on a national platform.
Participants were grouped into cohorts based on aspirations and digital familiarity -ranging from AI-enabled design and marketing tools for artisans to advanced applications such as business scaling and personalised learning pathways for digitally proficient women.
