Merge pull request #281 from CivicDataLab/Content-Update-Branch

Add 5 new events from India AI Impact Summit 2026

Author: saqibmanan

content/events/building-bridges-through-ai-2026/index.md

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+---
+context: |
+    At the AFD Pavilion during the India AI Impact Summit 2026, CivicDataLab joined the session "Building Bridges through AI: India–Africa–France Dialogue", convened by [Agence Française de Développement](https://www.afd.fr/fr), bringing together perspectives on cross-regional collaboration and South–South partnerships for advancing AI for the common good.
+
+    Representing CivicDataLab, Aashi Srivastava, Climate Lead joined Claire Zanuso, from AFD in a conversation on forging a third pathway for India, Europe, and Africa - one rooted in responsible, sovereign, and development-oriented AI ecosystems.
+
+    The discussion highlighted how the use of data and responsible AI in Assam's Green Budgeting has helped direct public financing towards climate resilience while simultaneously strengthening the state's positioning as an investable climate destination.
+
+    The dialogue also explored how AFD's AI Investment Potential Index can be leveraged by Indian states to build stronger cases for climate and development financing, including access to multilateral development bank (MDB) support.
+
+    With both AFD and CivicDataLab currently supporting the Government of Himachal Pradesh through HPDRRP and IDS-DRR respectively, the session reflected a growing opportunity for deeper collaboration towards resilient, data-driven public systems.
+eventtype:
+image: ./india-africa.jpeg
+name: "Building Bridges through AI: India-Africa-France Dialogue"
+resources:
+summary: "A dialogue at the AFD Pavilion exploring cross-regional collaboration and South–South partnerships for advancing AI for the common good."
+type: eventdetail
+date: "16 February 2026"
+time: "4:00 PM – 4:20 PM"
+venue: "Bharat Mandapam"
+url: ""
+youtube: ""
+---

content/events/building-bridges-through-ai-2026/india-africa.jpeg

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+---
+context: |
+    Hosted by [Vidhi Centre for Legal Policy](https://vidhilegalpolicy.in/), this session unpacked how models, governance, and market design can enable equitable access to AI. Executive Director and Co-founder Gaurav Godhwani shared perspectives on building open, interoperable data infrastructure that supports trustworthy innovation.
+eventtype:
+image: ./data_infra.jpeg
+name: "Democratising Access to AI through Data Infrastructure"
+resources:
+summary: "A session unpacking how models, governance, and market design can enable equitable access to AI."
+type: eventdetail
+date: "16 February 2026"
+time: "11:30 AM – 12:30 PM"
+venue: "Bharat Mandapam"
+url: ""
+youtube: ""
+---

content/events/democratising-access-to-ai-2026/data_infra.jpeg

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+---
+context: |
+    At the India AI Impact Summit 2026, CivicDataLab hosted a high-level panel convening government leaders, development partners, technologists, and civic innovators to explore how Data & AI Collaboratives can evolve into foundational digital public infrastructure - powering evidence-based policymaking, climate action, healthcare innovation, and inclusive economic growth.
+
+    Key reflections that stayed with us:
+    - The question is no longer what AI can do, but what AI should do.
+    - Responsible access to high-quality data and mechanisms to safely share it, remains foundational.
+    - And perhaps most encouragingly for India: leadership in AI does not only lie in invention, but in diffusion, adoption, and deployment at scale.
+    - At its core, the discussion reinforced one shared belief: Meaningful AI innovation depends on collective stewardship - open data ecosystems, ethical governance, and global collaboration.
+
+    The panel featured key note speakers: Harry Verweij (Keynote) — Ambassador-at-large, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, The Hague, Netherlands, Fred Werner (Keynote) — Chief, Strategic Engagement Division & AI for Good, International Telecommunication Union. The speakers were, Agnes Kiragga — Head of Data Science Program & Research Scientist, African Population and Health Research Center (APHRC), Alexandru Oprunenco — Innovation Advisor, United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), Anna Tumadóttir — CEO, Creative Commons, Ariane Hildebrandt — Director General, Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ), Germany, Christine Arab — Regional Director, UN Women, Cecilia Celeste Danesi — Professor of AI & Civil Law, University of Buenos Aires, Hwirin Kim — Chief, Hydrological & Water Resources Services Division, World Meteorological Organization, Kathleen Victoir — Senior Scientific Co-operation Officer, Pasteur Network, Martin Tisné — Founder & Chair of the Board, Current AI, Nasubo Ongoma — Chief Operating Officer, Qhala.
+
+    The session was moderated by Mercedes Forgassey, Lead - Innovation and Digitisation, PARIS21; Gaurav Godhwani, Executive Director & Co-Founder, CivicDataLab; Nupura Gawde, Initiative Lead – Digital Public Goods & Infrastructure, CivicDataLab.
+eventtype: 
+image: ./data-ai.jpeg
+name: "CivicDataLab Panel: Strengthening Data & AI Collaboratives for Social & Economic Growth"
+resources:
+  -
+    link: "https://www.youtube.com/live/Nd0QDAIkAzs"
+    title: "Live Recording"
+    type: Video
+summary: "A high-level panel at India AI Impact Summit 2026 exploring how Data & AI Collaboratives can evolve into foundational digital public infrastructure."
+type: eventdetail
+date: "18 February 2026"
+time: "9:30 AM – 10:30 AM"
+venue: "Bharat Mandapam"
+youtube: "https://www.youtube.com/live/Nd0QDAIkAzs"
+---

content/events/democratising-access-to-ai-2026/index.md

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+---
+context: |
+    Organised by [NASSCOM](https://nasscom.in/), this panel examined safeguards and governance frameworks for deploying AI in social welfare systems, with a strong emphasis on accountability, transparency, and citizen-centric design. Gaurav Godhwani, Executive Director and Co-founder, CivicDataLab, joined the discussion, sharing perspectives on responsible AI in public service delivery.
+eventtype:
+image: ./social_ai.JPG
+name: "Responsible Deployment of AI for Social Welfare"
+resources:
+summary: "A panel examining safeguards and governance frameworks for deploying AI in social welfare systems."
+type: eventdetail
+date: "16 February 2026"
+time: "2:30 PM – 3:30 PM"
+venue: "Bharat Mandapam"
+url: ""
+youtube: ""
+---

content/events/india-ai-impact-summit-2026/data-ai.jpeg

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+---
+context: |
+    In collaboration with the [Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ)](https://www.bmz.de/en), this session explored how shared data platforms can strengthen development cooperation and accelerate responsible AI adoption across sectors. Nupura Gawde, Digital Public Goods & Infrastructure Lead at CivicDataLab, unpacked how interoperable data systems can drive scalable, inclusive impact.
+eventtype:
+image: ./unlock-impact.jpeg
+name: "Unlocking Impact: A Shared Data Platform for AI Innovation"
+resources:
+summary: "A session exploring how shared data platforms can strengthen development cooperation and accelerate responsible AI adoption across sectors."
+type: eventdetail
+date: "16 February 2026"
+time: "4:30 PM – 5:30 PM"
+venue: "Bharat Mandapam"
+url: ""
+youtube: ""
+---