The second day of the India AI Impact Summit 2026 opened with a session on translating algorithms into deployable applications that improve public service delivery and citizen welfare. The session From Algorithms to Outcomes: Building AI that Works for People examined how compute, models and data must lead to applications that enhance productivity and strengthen governance. Participants discussed the need for measurable improvements in services rather than theoretical advances.

India’s Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY) Secretary S. Krishnan said the India AI Mission is modelled to address diverse needs and real world challenges by enabling application development. He explained that compute, models and datasets are being provided to build solutions that deliver real impact and improve lives. The Secretary urged attendees to visit the expo showcasing 600+ startups and companies to observe implementations across healthcare, agriculture, education and manufacturing. He emphasised the need to choose effective approaches, scale responsibly, protect privacy and ensure public money generates measurable outcomes.

Iqbal Singh Dhaliwal, Global Executive Director of the Abdul Latif Jameel Poverty Action Lab (J-PAL), stressed the centrality of rigorous field evaluation and pointed out that promising technologies sometimes fail when confronted with real world conditions. He argued that evidence must establish not only whether AI works but for whom and in which contexts. Michael Kremer, University Professor in Economics at the University of Chicago, noted emerging evidence of impact in areas such as traffic enforcement, automated driver licence testing, health and education. He highlighted examples of personalised adaptive learning that doubled the pace of student learning with just one hour a week and cautioned that system level change and careful implementation are required.

The session formed part of a broader summit agenda that brought together policymakers, researchers and industry leaders to deliberate on translating AI capabilities into scalable public applications. Speakers highlighted the importance of structured implementation, procurement reform and cross sector collaboration to drive adoption within public systems. Organisers and participants at the summit signalled a shared commitment to ensuring AI delivers measurable benefits for citizens.