Organised by Centre for Responsible AI on 22nd October 2026, the conclave brings together industry, academia, policymakers & startups to discuss how AI can be measured and governed in real-world settings, with a focus on India and the Global South
CHENNAI, 20 October 2026: The Centre for Responsible AI (CeRAI) at Wadhwani School of Data Science and AI (WSAI), IIT Madras, will host an Industry Conclave on AI Governance 2026 in the campus on Thursday (22nd October 2026).
The conclave, whose theme is ‘AI Measurement and Governance’, will examine how AI systems can be evaluated in the contexts in which they are developed and deployed in the real world with a focus on India and the global south.
A startup showcase, being held as part of the conclave, will feature startups working in AI measurement, evaluation, observability, compliance and governance, providing a platform for engagement with researchers and policy experts.
Highlighting the importance of measurement in AI governance, Prof. Balaraman Ravindran, Head, WSAI and CeRAI, IIT Madras, said, "Governance that isn't grounded in measurement remains a statement of intent, not a practice. If we want AI systems to be fair, safe, and robust, we need to be able to demonstrate its evaluation to be able to govern. That is the gap this conclave is designed to address.”
AI systems are being deployed across sectors, becoming part of existing technology workflows and social settings. However, policies and regulations governing their use are still evolving. Effective governance depend, in part, on being able to assess these systems in the settings where they are used.
Considerations such as fairness, safety, robustness, privacy and security can vary across contexts, including India and healthcare, as well as the specific context of Indian healthcare. These will be among the focus areas of this conclave
As organisations move from AI principles to implementation, they need reliable ways to evaluate models and systems. However, evaluation methods have not always kept pace with the speed of AI adoption. Building on work at CeRAI and other industry and research organisations, the conclave will bring together perspectives on measurement methods, tools and standards that can support responsible and safe AI deployment across different sectors and regions.
The conclave will feature two keynote talks on AI governance and the measurement infrastructure needed to support it. The speakers are Prof. Gopal Ramchurn, University of Southampton and CEO of Responsible AI UK (RAi UK), and Prof. Mohan Kankanahalli, Provost’s Chair Professor of Computer Science and Director, NUS AI Institute, National University of Singapore. Their contributions will draw on their expertise in trustworthy AI systems and international perspectives on responsible AI.
Speaking about the conclave, Prof. Gopal Ramchurn, University of Southampton and CEO of Responsible AI UK (RAi UK), said, “The Industry Conclave on AI Governance could not be timelier. AI, and agentic AI in particular, knows no borders. Agents will operate everywhere, often without human supervision. This conclave will address the most pressing technical and governance questions: who is responsible for the actions of deployed AI, how that responsibility can be traced, and what can be done to mitigate the risks of rogue behaviour. I look forward to seeing the world-leading research being undertaken at CeRAI, IIT Madras, to address these issues.”
Underlining the need for rigorous measurement, Prof. Mohan Kankanahalli, Provost’s Chair Professor of Computer Science and Director, NUS AI Institute, National University of Singapore, added, “AI model capabilities are increasing rapidly and benchmarks quickly become obsolete, which makes principled measurement challenging. Good governance, however, needs accurate measurement. I look forward to the discussions at the conclave.”
The programme will also feature a fireside chat on AI measurement and governance between Mr. Rahul Matthan, Partner, Trilegal, and Prof. Balaraman Ravindran. A panel discussion on AI and Consumer Rights will bring together Ms. S. Saroja, Executive Director, Citizen Consumer and Civic Action Group; Ms. Saranya Gopinath, Head of Policy, Razorpay; Prof. Shouvik Guha, Faculty, National University of Juridical Sciences; and Mr. Saksham Malik, Government Affairs and Public Policy Manager, Google India. The discussion will be moderated by Mr. Vibhav Mittal, Partner, Anand and Anand, Affiliate Research Fellow, CeRAI.
CeRAI researchers will present the Centre’s research highlights, evaluation methods and open-source tools for responsible AI development and deployment. Three parallel hands-on workshops will focus on Responsible AI tools and frameworks. The conclave will also see the launch of a new research initiative and the announcement of a paper, with further details to be shared at the event.