Gadkari urges Vidarbha to adopt AI and research suited to local needs at Nagpur summit

Union Minister Nitin Gadkari has said that if Vidarbha's development is to be accelerated, research must be done according to the region's needs. He was speaking as chief guest at the Viksit Vidarbha Summit-2026 in Nagpur. The summit was organised jointly by ASSOCHAM and the Maharashtra government.

Gadkari said Vidarbha had made considerable progress in water resources, power, transport and communication. He then asked ASSOCHAM to study the needs of different sectors and carry out research, and to come up with solutions that work on the ground to meet Vidarbha's development needs.

Referring to sectors such as agriculture, mining, dairy and solar energy, Gadkari spoke of the possibilities of making energy and other useful products from waste. He also said research was needed on energy crops that can help generate electricity and make value-added products.

Gadkari suggested a new approach to the region's development. He proposed an online "idea bank" where suggestions related to Vidarbha's development could be shared, discussed and taken forward. Stressing the importance of new technologies, he appealed for artificial intelligence (AI) to be adopted to raise productivity and create jobs across Vidarbha's sectors.

Sessions were held at the summit on themes such as "Farm to Fuel", "Waste to Wealth" and "Renewable Energy". They discussed Vidarbha's development potential and emerging opportunities.

On the dais were Shashank Javalekar, executive director of the Maharashtra State Load Despatch Centre; Amit Agrawal, chairman of ASSOCHAM's Agriculture and Allied Businesses Committee; Milind Hardikar, chairman of the ASSOCHAM Maharashtra State Council; and Madhav Labhe, chairman of the ASSOCHAM Vidarbha Chapter. Also present were Dr Mohan Pande, Saurabh Sanyal, Shyamal Chatterjee, managing director and CEO of Galaxy Solar, and Pankaj Mahajan.

The Viksit Vidarbha 2026 souvenir was released at the event. On the occasion of Tribal Day, several tribal people who have made significant contributions in various fields were honoured by Gadkari.

Milind Hardikar expressed confidence that Vidarbha would become an important part of a developed Maharashtra and so help fulfil the Viksit Bharat 2047 resolve. He said the summit's discussions would help identify Vidarbha's untapped potential, create new opportunities and provide a strong platform for making better use of the region's diversity and resources.

Shyamal Chatterjee also expressed confidence in Vidarbha's development potential. He asked those present to keep contributing to fulfil the resolve of a developed Vidarbha. He also praised the fast pace of development in the area. Gadkari, in closing, congratulated the ASSOCHAM Vidarbha Chapter and said he hoped it would play an important role in the region's development.