Jamshedpur/Bhubaneswar/New Delhi: Tata Steel and Tata Steel Foundation enabled more than 600 women from its grassroots programmes across Jharkhand, Odisha and Punjab to participate in the Tata Al Sakhi Immersion Program at the India Al Impact Summit 2026, held at Bharat Mandapam, Delhi.
Organised by the Govt of India and spearheaded by Tata Consultancy Services, this workshop is a flagship movement by the Tata entity to bolster learning in Al, confidence and dignity for women in grassroots India.
The session was graced by the visit of Smriti Irani, Chairperson, Alliance for Global Good, Gender, Equity and Equality, ClI, as the chief guest. Present on the occasion was Sourav Roy, Chief Executive Officer, Tata Steel Foundation.
A total of 311 women from Jharkhand, 315 women from Odisha and 9 women from Ludhiana were present in a cohort of 635 out of 1600 at the session on Tuesday.
The immersive workshop explored how artificial intelligence can become a practical tool for livelihood enhancement, entrepreneurship, and everyday problem-solving. The workshop aligns to the Foundation’s vision of ‘realising her potential with dignity, while placing the institution as an example of ‘many firsts’.
The participants mobilised by Tata Steel Foundation represented diverse community initiatives spanning health (MANSI+), livelihoods (Agriculture), women’s leadership(Disha), community enterprise (Navjeevan, Srujanika and Pragati) and Tribal Identity (including Samvaad and Johar Haat), reflecting the organisation’s integrated approach to inclusive development.
Through guided hands-on sessions, women explored Al applications for business promotion, product design, documentation support, accessing information, and skill development, with trained mentors supporting small group leaming.
The initiative aligns with Tata Steel Foundation’s intent at strengthening women-led development by combining digital inclusion with existing community capabilities and livelihood opportunities.
On the occasion, Sourav Roy said: “At Tata Steel Foundation, our programmes have consistently focused on strengthening women’s leadership and livelihoods, and the Al Sakhi immersion is a natural extension of that journey. By introducing grassroots women to practical applications of artiticial intelligence, we are enabling them to expand economic opportunities, access information and solve everyday challenges with greater confidence.”
