Rajasthan Bets on AI, Gaming For A Future-Ready Tech Ecosystem 

Rajasthan is positioning itself more aggressively in India’s race to build a domestic technology and startup ecosystem, with the state government using a multi-day summit in Jaipur this week to signal its ambitions around digital skills, artificial intelligence and youth employment.

The Rajasthan DigiFest × TiE Global Summit 2026, held from January 4 to 6 at the Jaipur Exhibition & Convention Centre, brought together policymakers, startup founders, investors and students as part of the state’s broader push to align with the Centre’s Digital India and IndiaAI initiatives. Alongside policy discussions, the event blended hackathons, gaming competitions and exhibitions, reflecting the government’s attempt to link technology policy with grassroots talent development.

Senior state officials, including IT and communication minister Rajyavardhan Rathore, used the platform to underline Rajasthan’s focus on emerging sectors such as agritech, meditech, fintech and proptech, while announcing new digital platforms and academic-industry partnerships aimed at strengthening the local innovation pipeline.

Addressing the gathering during the inaugural session, Col. Rajyavardhan Rathore highlighted Rajasthan’s abundant resources and its rich pool of skilled talent. “Rajasthan is consciously building a technology-driven ecosystem across agritech, meditech, proptech, and fintech. With abundant resources, proactive government support, and a talented youth population, the state offers the ideal convergence for a transformative future,” he said.

The inaugural day also witnessed the launch of the Rajasthan Innovation Hub Jodhpur Portal, a single-window digital platform designed to connect students, mentors, and startups. Additionally, the Government of Rajasthan signed seven MoUs with leading academic institutions and industry partners to strengthen innovation and collaboration.

Games, Comicon & Technology Converge

As the event commenced, one of the major attractions for young attendees was Comicon Jaipur, which brought popular comic and anime characters to life through vibrant posters and themed stalls.

Rajasthan DigiFest × TiE Global Summit 2026 showcased the immense talent and enthusiasm of young gamers from across the country through a Game Jam  in partnership with Outlook Respawn. The competition saw participation from over 25 teams and more than 100 participants, who were challenged to conceptualize, design, and build playable game prototypes from scratch.

On another part of the campus, an AI Hackathon was organised under the IndiaAI initiative, where participants were presented with problem statements focused on education, healthcare, public services, and overall wellbeing.

Among the participants were Swati Jain and Saksham Garg from PalEnable Solutions Pvt. Ltd., who selected the problem statement titled ‘Bridging the Gap Between Clinical Therapy and Daily Habits: An AI-Driven 24/7 Behavioural Coaching and Suicide Prevention System.’

The team worked on developing an AI-based application aimed at helping individuals manage stress through guided deep-breathing techniques. The app also features an AI chatbot designed to detect distress signals and, in critical situations, alert emergency services or notify close contacts to enable timely support.

Leadership Dialogues, Investment & Global Collaboration

The second day of the Rajasthan DigiFest × TiE Global Summit 2026 featured a series of high-energy fireside chats and panel discussions, bringing together global leaders from sports, technology, finance, public policy, and the creative industries.

The day also included a special sideline programme showcasing Madhya Pradesh as an emerging investment destination, which was attended by Mohan Yadav, Chief Minister of Madhya Pradesh.

Addressing the audience, the Chief Minister noted that the IT sector once largely concentrated in southern India and major metropolitan cities is now witnessing a shift towards tier-2 cities in states such as Madhya Pradesh and Rajasthan.

He further assured startup founders and investors of the state’s commitment to strengthening pro-business policies aimed at creating employment and boosting income opportunities for its people.

The second half of the day featured a fireside chat titled ‘No Fear, No Limits: Lessons from the World’s Most Aggressive Opener,’ hosted by Mahavir Pratap Sharma, Convener, TiE Global, with former Indian cricketer Virender Sehwag. Mr. Sehwag spoke about founding the Sehwag International School to provide young people with the resources needed to grow in sports and shared his journey as a startup investor.

The summit also witnessed participation from global leaders representing several countries, who highlighted India and states such as Rajasthan as promising destinations for investment. Among them was Ammar Al Malik, Executive Vice President of Commercial at TECOM Group and Managing Director of Dubai Internet City.

Highlighting the purpose of his visit to India, Al Malik said the objective was to strengthen collaboration between India and Dubai by creating pathways for Indian companies to scale operations in Dubai and use the city as a global growth base.

Policy, Impact and the Road Ahead

The third and final day of Rajasthan DigiFest × TiE Global Summit 2026 hosted the Regional AI Impact Conference, attended by Bhajan Lal Sharma, Chief Minister of Rajasthan; Jitin Prasada, Union Minister of State for Commerce & Industry and Electronics & Information Technology; Rajyavardhan Singh Rathore, Rajasthan Cabinet Minister; Abhishek Singh, CEO of the IndiaAI Mission, among other dignitaries.

The day also witnessed the announcement of several key initiatives and the signing of multiple Memorandums of Understanding (MoUs). Major launches included the Rajasthan Artificial Intelligence & Machine Learning Policy 2026, the AI Literacy Programme, the iStart Learning Management System (LMS), the AVGC-XR Portal, and the Rajasthan AI Portal. Additionally, the state government signed strategic MoUs with IIT Delhi, Google, and the National Law University, further strengthening Rajasthan’s AI and innovation ecosystem.

Ashwini Vaishnaw, Union Minister of Electronics & Information Technology, who joined the event virtually, announced that Rajasthan will soon have its first data centre.

During the conference, the Chief Minister of Rajasthan highlighted the state’s strong digital infrastructure, noting that it has over 6.5 crore mobile users and processes UPI transactions worth approximately ₹81,000 crore every month. He added that internet connectivity has reached more than 45,000 villages, while BharatNet has been extended to nearly 30,000 centres across the state. Inviting both global and domestic investors, the Chief Minister urged them to leverage Rajasthan’s robust talent pool and business-friendly policies.

A high-level strategic session brought together Shri Abhishek Singh, Additional Secretary, MeitY, CEO of the IndiaAI Mission and DG, NIC, in conversation with Shri Vishal Dhupar, Managing Director, South Asia, NVIDIA, moderated by Sameer Jain, Managing Director, Primus Partners. The discussion examined India’s strategy to democratize AI infrastructure, strengthen public–private collaboration, enable innovation at scale, and advance the creation of a global AI Safety Commons while building public-sector capacity for responsible and trusted AI.

Concluding the day, the sessions and policy announcements collectively reinforced the Summit’s role as a catalyst for cross-sector innovation, highlighting how Indian platforms are not just adopting global technologies but are actively defining the future paradigms of creativity and innovation.