Moderator Jacob Gullish, Executive Director for Digital Economy, M and E, Satcom at the U S Chamber of Commerce, guided a thoughtful and energetic conversation with Girish Menon, Chief Strategy Officer at JetSynthesys Pvt Ltd, and Archana Tewary, Partner at J Sagar Associates. Together, they explored how collaboration across education, industry and policy can unlock a stronger, more future ready talent pipeline for both countries.

AI as the New Foundation for Talent Building

The discussion opened with a clear recognition that AI is redefining work, decision making and innovation at scale. India’s rapidly expanding digital talent pool and the United States’ leadership in advanced AI research create a natural partnership for co developing future proof skilling frameworks. Speakers emphasised that AI literacy and AI assisted learning must become foundational across sectors.

Skilling for a Faster, More Adaptive Innovation Economy

Girish Menon underlined that traditional training models cannot keep pace with digital transformation. He emphasised the need for immersive, industry aligned skill pathways that equip learners to work with AI powered tools, digital workflows and emerging technologies. Continuous learning, modular certifications and strong industry academia partnerships will be critical.

Legal Pathways to Enable Cross Border Innovation

Archana Tewary highlighted that a robust India–US innovation corridor will rely heavily on supportive legal and regulatory structures. She pointed to the importance of clarity in IP frameworks, efficient cross border data governance and mobility rules that help professionals collaborate and innovate seamlessly across geographies. Secure and trusted regulatory alignment, she noted, will form the bedrock for long term cooperation.

A Shared Innovation Mandate

Moderator Jacob Gullish observed that innovation today is inherently global and interconnected. He emphasised that India and the U S have a shared responsibility to build joint research programmes, incubation networks and AI driven skilling platforms that prepare the next generation of innovators. By bringing universities, startups, corporates and policymakers together, both nations can accelerate capability building at scale.

Moving from Dialogue to Delivery

The Fireside Chat closed with a clear call to action. India and the United States have complementary strengths in talent, research and digital infrastructure. To unlock their full potential, both must deepen collaboration, focus on outcome based skilling and invest in AI centred innovation ecosystems. The conversation made it evident that the India–US partnership is not merely an opportunity but an essential pillar for shaping the future of global digital leadership.