Sterlite EdIndia Foundation convened a national Data & AI for Education Governance Roundtable on 27 February 2026 at the Sterlite Electric office in BKC, Mumbai. The event brought together senior officials from municipal corporations, district administrations, education departments and leading education foundations to explore how data and artificial intelligence can strengthen education planning and governance. The discussions centred on improving student learning outcomes and strengthening administrative decision-making, in alignment with the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020 and the National Curriculum Framework (NCF).
Participants examined the increasing need for insight-driven systems that support planning, monitoring and evaluation across classrooms and education systems. Case examples from states and urban local bodies highlighted how data is being used to track learning outcomes, optimise teacher deployment, monitor attendance and strengthen programme implementation.
The session was led by Sonakshi Agarwal, Managing Director, Sterlite EdIndia Foundation, and Antony Nellissery, Head, Sterlite EdIndia Foundation, who emphasised the importance of building cohesive data ecosystems that enable timely and informed decision-making within education systems. Speaking after the roundtable, Sonakshi Agarwal said “Our aim is to help institutions gain confidence in using data as part of everyday governance. When public systems and development partners collaborate, they can build solutions that scale and continue to create impact long after individual programmes conclude.”
Antony Nellissery added “Evidence has always been central to academic practice. Data strengthens the rigour of decision-making, while AI helps interpret complex learning patterns at scale. Together, they allow education systems to shift from reactive responses to proactive improvement.”
Government representatives attending the roundtable included Sujata Khare, Education Officer, Municipal Corporation of Greater Mumbai (MCGM); Mohit Patil, Project Manager – Education, MBMC; Dr. Pokdey Yomgam, Deputy Director of School Education, Namsai, Arunachal Pradesh; and Dr. Keshab Sarmah, District Planning Officer, Namsai. They were joined by leaders from prominent education organisations including Tiasha Banerjee, CEO, Adhyayan Quality Education Foundation; Manoj Puttur, Director of Education Programs, Vipla Foundation; Kripa Shankarnarayan, Head, Pehlay Akshar; and Aditya Bhatkal, Team Lead, Dasra.
Participants emphasised that effective use of data and AI can enable more targeted, equitable and accountable interventions in diverse education systems. The roundtable concluded with a shared commitment to deeper collaboration among governments, civil society organisations and system partners to develop transparent and scalable data-driven governance models that ultimately improve learning outcomes for students.
