Sri Gaddam Prasad Kumar, Speaker, Telangana Legislative Assembly was the chief guest t & Sri Padmanabhaiah Kantipudi, IAS (Retd.), Chairman, ASCI; deliver Keynote Address
Hyderabad, August 29, 2025 — The Dr. Pritam Singh Foundation, in collaboration with IILM University, hosted a high-level Round Table Discussion on “Human at Core: AI, Ethics, and the Future” at Tech Mahindra, Cyberabad. The event, held in memory of the late Dr. Pritam Singh—pioneering academic, visionary leader, and architect of transformative management education in India—brought together policymakers, business leaders, and academics to explore how India can harness artificial intelligence (AI) while safeguarding ethics, inclusivity, and human values.
The discussion was inaugurated by Sri Gaddam Prasad Kumar, Speaker of the Telangana Legislative Assembly, who served as Chief Guest. Sri Padmanabhaiah Kantipudi, IAS (Retd.), Chairman of the Administrative Staff College of India (ASCI), delivered the Keynote Address.
Sri Gaddam Prasad Kumar underscored the ethical challenges of AI, warning against algorithmic bias, threats to data privacy, and job displacement. He called for large-scale reskilling and emphasized that India must shape AI technologies to reflect its values of fairness, transparency, and inclusivity. He highlighted Hyderabad’s growing role as a hub for AI-driven innovation and ethics, stressing the need to integrate AI literacy, data science, and ethics into higher education, while encouraging interdisciplinary collaboration. Corporate leaders were urged to establish strong governance frameworks, audit algorithms for bias, and ensure responsible adoption of AI.
In his Keynote, Sri Padmanabhaiah Kantipudi paid tribute to Dr. Pritam Singh, describing him as a nation-builder who bridged academia, business, and governance. “Dr. Singh elevated Indian management education to global standards. His leadership, rooted in both intellect and values, continues to inspire generations of leaders,” he said. The Round Table theme, Leadership: AI, Ethics, and the Future, underscored India’s opportunity to leverage AI for inclusive growth across healthcare, agriculture, education, and fintech—while ensuring technology remains human-centric and trustworthy.
The Dr. Pritam Singh Foundation, led by luminaries like Mr. P. Dwarakanath, former Chairman of GSK, continues his legacy through conferences, roundtables, mentoring programs, and thought leadership. Mr. Dwarakanath reflected, “Dr. Singh was a mentor and orator who inspired generations. His commitment to values-driven leadership remains a guiding light for future leaders.”
The event also featured reflections on Dr. Singh’s enduring legacy:
Mr. Chaturvedi, Director at IILM University, emphasized Dr. Singh’s pivotal role in shaping and strengthening India’s management institutions. Mr. Deepak Kumar, Director at IDRBT and former Executive Director of the RBI, recalled his transformative mentoring sessions with senior leaders at the Reserve Bank of India. Mr. Gaurav Maheshwari, Managing Director of Signode Asia Pacific, stressed that “India needs more institution builders of Dr. Singh’s caliber to shape its future.”
Dr. Vipul Singh, Director and head of HR Lloyds Tech highlighted his father’s lifelong mission of training and mentoring thousands of CEOs and institution builders, cultivating leadership rooted in excellence, integrity, and nation-building.
Prof. Vikas Singh, author, economist and co-founder Crux , said AI should free people to build deeper bonds with family and society. “Universities must shape not only skilled engineers but ethical leaders, and corporates must lead with empathy and integrity. Simple to say, tough to practice. While AI can execute 80% of tasks a thousand times faster than humans, it struggles significantly with the remaining 20% that require a human touch. The core challenge for leaders is to harmonize the analytical power of AI with human empathy and creativity. To avoid the missteps of past industrial revolutions, we must plan proactively, ensuring India doesn’t fall behind in the global AI race.
The Dr. Pritam Singh Foundation and IILM University reaffirmed their commitment to advancing Dr. Singh’s vision of ethical, visionary leadership in an AI-driven era.