CSITM to host Inclusive AI Leadership Seminar Series from 27 July – 05 August
Prof. Payal Arora, Utrecht University, and Founder of the Inclusive AI Lab, to undertake a distinguished academic visit
15 July, Bengaluru, 2026: The Centre for Software and IT Management (CSITM) at IIM Bangalore is dedicated to advancing scholarship and practice at the intersection of technology, strategy, and society. As part of this mission, the centre will host an academic visit by Prof. Payal Arora, Professor at Utrecht University and Founder of the Inclusive AI Lab, from 27 July to 05 August, 2026.
The visit will feature a Faculty Talk, a six-part Inclusive AI Leadership Seminar Series, and a Hybrid Policy Talk, bringing together faculty, researchers, doctoral scholars, MBA students, industry leaders, AI professionals, and policymakers to explore how artificial intelligence can be designed, led, and governed for diverse global markets.
Centred on the theme of inclusive AI leadership, the programme will examine how organisations can build AI systems that are culturally relevant, socially responsible, and commercially successful across different geographies. Participants may register for individual sessions or the complete seminar series.
For registration for an individual session or the complete seminar series, click here: Registration Form - Seminar Series by Prof. Payal Arora
The programme opens on 27 July with the Faculty Talk titled, ‘From Pessimism to Promise: Designing Inclusive AI for Global Markets,’ where Prof. Arora will discuss why AI systems must move beyond Western-centric datasets to become culturally inclusive and globally relevant. This will be followed by six seminars covering purpose-driven AI strategy, leadership in the AI economy, geopolitics and regulation, accountability as a competitive advantage, AI for the next billion users, and building inclusive, high-quality AI systems. The series concludes on 05 August with the hybrid Policy Talk, ‘Beyond the Innovation–Regulation Divide: Governing AI in a Plural Digital World,’ which will explore how governance frameworks can enable both innovation and trust across diverse global contexts.
The seminar series will address six key themes:
Seminar 1 — Mission: Purpose-Driven AI Strategy will explore aligning AI initiatives with long-term societal and business value.
Seminar 2 — Leadership for the AI Economy will examine leading AI-driven organisations through complexity, governance, and ethical decision-making.
Seminar 3 — Mediators: Geopolitics, Regulation, and Market Adoption will discuss how policy, regulation, and culture influence AI deployment.
Seminar 4 — Measures: Accountability as Competitive Advantage will highlight how transparency and governance can drive trust and business growth.
Seminar 5 — Markets: AI for the Next Billion Users will focus on designing products for emerging and underrepresented markets.
Seminar 6 — Models: Building Inclusive and Quality AI Systems will delve into improving AI performance through diverse datasets and inclusive model design.
The concluding Policy Talk (Hybrid) will examine how AI governance can move beyond the traditional innovation-versus-regulation debate, arguing for collaborative policy frameworks that foster innovation while building legitimacy and public trust.
About Prof. Payal Arora
Prof. Payal Arora is a globally recognised digital anthropologist whose research focuses on inclusive AI, digital cultures, and emerging markets. She is the award-winning author of The Next Billion Users (Harvard University Press) and From Pessimism to Promise (MIT Press), and has advised organisations including Google, Adobe, KPMG, and the European Commission. Recognised by Forbes as a leading voice on the next billion users, she was also named among the 100 Brilliant Women in AI Ethics (2025) and received the Women in AI Benelux Award for Diversifying AI (2025). Her work has been featured in leading international publications, including the Financial Times, Wired, and The Economist, and she has delivered over 350 talks across 85 countries.
CSITM to host Inclusive AI Leadership Seminar Series from 27 July – 05 August
Prof. Payal Arora, Utrecht University, and Founder of the Inclusive AI Lab, to undertake a distinguished academic visit
15 July, Bengaluru, 2026: The Centre for Software and IT Management (CSITM) at IIM Bangalore is dedicated to advancing scholarship and practice at the intersection of technology, strategy, and society. As part of this mission, the centre will host an academic visit by Prof. Payal Arora, Professor at Utrecht University and Founder of the Inclusive AI Lab, from 27 July to 05 August, 2026.
The visit will feature a Faculty Talk, a six-part Inclusive AI Leadership Seminar Series, and a Hybrid Policy Talk, bringing together faculty, researchers, doctoral scholars, MBA students, industry leaders, AI professionals, and policymakers to explore how artificial intelligence can be designed, led, and governed for diverse global markets.
Centred on the theme of inclusive AI leadership, the programme will examine how organisations can build AI systems that are culturally relevant, socially responsible, and commercially successful across different geographies. Participants may register for individual sessions or the complete seminar series.
For registration for an individual session or the complete seminar series, click here: Registration Form - Seminar Series by Prof. Payal Arora
The programme opens on 27 July with the Faculty Talk titled, ‘From Pessimism to Promise: Designing Inclusive AI for Global Markets,’ where Prof. Arora will discuss why AI systems must move beyond Western-centric datasets to become culturally inclusive and globally relevant. This will be followed by six seminars covering purpose-driven AI strategy, leadership in the AI economy, geopolitics and regulation, accountability as a competitive advantage, AI for the next billion users, and building inclusive, high-quality AI systems. The series concludes on 05 August with the hybrid Policy Talk, ‘Beyond the Innovation–Regulation Divide: Governing AI in a Plural Digital World,’ which will explore how governance frameworks can enable both innovation and trust across diverse global contexts.
The seminar series will address six key themes:
Seminar 1 — Mission: Purpose-Driven AI Strategy will explore aligning AI initiatives with long-term societal and business value.
Seminar 2 — Leadership for the AI Economy will examine leading AI-driven organisations through complexity, governance, and ethical decision-making.
Seminar 3 — Mediators: Geopolitics, Regulation, and Market Adoption will discuss how policy, regulation, and culture influence AI deployment.
Seminar 4 — Measures: Accountability as Competitive Advantage will highlight how transparency and governance can drive trust and business growth.
Seminar 5 — Markets: AI for the Next Billion Users will focus on designing products for emerging and underrepresented markets.
Seminar 6 — Models: Building Inclusive and Quality AI Systems will delve into improving AI performance through diverse datasets and inclusive model design.
The concluding Policy Talk (Hybrid) will examine how AI governance can move beyond the traditional innovation-versus-regulation debate, arguing for collaborative policy frameworks that foster innovation while building legitimacy and public trust.
About Prof. Payal Arora
Prof. Payal Arora is a globally recognised digital anthropologist whose research focuses on inclusive AI, digital cultures, and emerging markets. She is the award-winning author of The Next Billion Users (Harvard University Press) and From Pessimism to Promise (MIT Press), and has advised organisations including Google, Adobe, KPMG, and the European Commission. Recognised by Forbes as a leading voice on the next billion users, she was also named among the 100 Brilliant Women in AI Ethics (2025) and received the Women in AI Benelux Award for Diversifying AI (2025). Her work has been featured in leading international publications, including the Financial Times, Wired, and The Economist, and she has delivered over 350 talks across 85 countries.