Bengaluru: Bengaluru is set to host the first-of-its-kind JanAI Vishwa Utsav, a seven-day community-powered festival on artificial intelligence from March 1 to 7, 2027. The event aims to bring rural communities and young people into the global conversation on AI while connecting them with technology companies, startups, investors, policymakers and international AI leaders.
Seven days of AI, ideas and innovation
The festival is expected to attract more than 1 lakh participants, including over 5,000 delegates for the main three-day World Festival and Expo from March 4 to 6. The opening three days, from March 1 to 3, will feature more than 50 community events across over 25 venues in Bengaluru, followed by networking and city experience programmes on March 7.
The official JanAI programme lists the Bangalore International Exhibition Centre (BIEC) as the main venue for the World Festival and Expo.
Rural India takes centre stage
The festival will focus on practical applications of AI in agriculture, healthcare, education and skilling, financial inclusion, MSMEs, tourism and culture, and governance. Rural youth, farmers, women entrepreneurs, artisans and teachers are expected to engage with technology companies, startups, investors and policymakers.
The initiative is also building a network of 10,000 Rural JanAI Ambassadors across 100 districts in 16 states. A national roadshow covering more than 50 rural districts is scheduled to begin from Wardha on October 2, 2026.
AI with people at the centre
JanAI founder and festival convener Madan Padaki said the initiative seeks to change the conversation around artificial intelligence from something that happens to people to something people actively shape.
The festival follows the theme “Sabka Sath, Sabka Vikas, Sabka Vishwas, Sabka AI”, reflecting its focus on making AI more accessible and useful across communities.
A JanAI campaign has already gathered 6,206 responses from 28 states and 221 districts. Jobs and economic opportunities emerged as the leading expectation from AI, followed by education, farming and healthcare, with 63 per cent of responses coming from villages.
The Bengaluru festival could therefore become an important platform for demonstrating how artificial intelligence can move beyond technology hubs and create practical opportunities for communities across India.