The inaugural Black Swan Summit India 2026 concluded in Bhubaneswar with the President of India, Smt. Droupadi Murmu, serving as the Chief Guest, and under the leadership of the Chief Minister of Odisha, Mohan Charan Majhi.
The Summit was organised by the Government of Odisha under the BharatNetra initiative, in partnership with the Singapore-based Global Finance & Technology Network (GFTN). It aimed to showcase the digital and financial transformation taking place in Odisha, focusing on developing a future-ready workforce, creating a world-class FinTech hub, and establishing Global Capability Centres.
Over the course of two days, the Summit brought together nearly 1,500 delegates from 24 countries and featured close to 100 speakers from five continents, including senior government leaders, representatives from global financial institutions, technology innovators, investors, students, and entrepreneurs. The discussions centred on tangible pathways for Odisha’s economic development through AI-enabled finance, FinTech, InsurTech, digital public infrastructure, and large-scale job creation.
Additionally, the Department of Electronics and IT, Government of Odisha, signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Sarvam AI to establish a Sovereign AI Park in the state. This initiative envisions an investment proposal of ₹20,000 crores, which is expected to generate thousands of skilled direct and indirect jobs in Odisha. The project aims to develop a secure computing infrastructure and facilitate population-scale AI applications across sectors such as education, agriculture, healthcare, governance, and public safety, thereby strengthening last-mile service delivery through voice-enabled platforms.
Attendees included Governor of Odisha, Dr. Hari Babu Kambhampati; Dr. Mukesh Mahaling, Minister for Electronics & Information Technology; Suryabanshi Suraj, Minister for Higher Education; Anu Garg, Chief Secretary; Vishal Kumar Dev, Additional Chief Secretary for Electronics & IT; Mr. Ravi Menon, Chairman of GFTN; and Mr. Sopnendu Mohanty, Group CEO of GFTN, along with distinguished global leaders, investors, and partners.
President Droupadi Murmu Highlights the Importance of Skills, Innovation, and Global Collaboration
President Murmu emphasised that advancing skill development, establishing global capability centres, and strengthening innovation capacity are critical investments in human capital. She expressed her satisfaction with the Government of Odisha’s launch of the BharatNetra initiative, aimed at building a future-ready workforce and innovation ecosystem in the digital, financial, and insurance technology sectors.
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President Murmu also acknowledged the efforts of the Government of Odisha and the Global Finance & Technology Network for co-organising the Black Swan Summit as part of this initiative. She is confident that the discussions and collaborations stemming from this summit will have a transformative impact not only for Odisha but also for India and the world.
CM Mohan Majhi Highlights Odisha’s Vision for Digital Growth
Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi stated, “Odisha is emerging as a hub for FinTech and InsurTech innovation, supported by the IT Policy 2025 and the upcoming FinTech Policy. These policies aim to provide regulatory clarity, incentives, and infrastructure for job creation and investment. The state is also developing an ecosystem for Global Capability Centres, backed by earmarked land, modern infrastructure, data centres, and initiatives in semiconductor manufacturing.”
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Chief Secretary Anu Garg remarked, “For the global corporations and investors present here, the message from Odisha has remained consistent. The state offers policy stability, regulatory clarity, institutional continuity, a growing talent base prepared for the industry, and a governance framework built on trust. These factors are why global investors and companies are committing to support Odisha through investments, talent pipelines, global capability centres, and innovation partnerships.”
Some of the global leaders who attended the Summit include Douglas Feagin, President of Ant International; Michael Schlein, President and Chief Executive Officer of Accion; Makoto Shibata, Chief Executive Officer of FINOLAB; Kimihiro Sakaguchi, Managing Director of SMBC Global Services; Jinya Suzuki, Managing Director of MUFG Global Service; Yanan Wu, Founder and Chief Executive Officer of Surfin Meta Digital Technology; Alex Capri, global author and Senior Lecturer at the National University of Singapore Business School; and Tek Yew, Adjunct Professor at the National University of Singapore’s Asian Institute of Digital Finance (NUS-AIDF).
Their participation is significant for Odisha as it signals that leading global institutions in finance, technology, and policy view the state as a credible destination for investment, talent, and innovation. Their presence strengthens Odisha’s integration into international digital finance networks and builds confidence among long-term investors.
BharatNetra Partnership Shows Early Results
A key highlight of the address was BharatNetra, Odisha’s Integrated Global Financial Technology Capability Hub, developed in partnership with GFTN. Mr. Ravi Menon, Chairman of GFTN, stated, “At the invitation of President Droupadi Murmu, Singapore President Tharman Shanmugaratnam visited India last year. His visit to Odisha signalled the State’s strategic importance as India’s eastern gateway and marked a watershed moment in Singapore–Odisha relations. One of the MoUs signed during his visit led to the BharatNetra partnership. We have made substantial progress in just one year.”
The partnership has already yielded tangible outcomes. A hands-on FinTech and InsurTech training program designed by the National University of Singapore’s Asian Institute of Digital Finance has graduated its first cohort of 195 students, many of whom are being considered for industry roles. A second cohort will begin soon, with the program aiming to target 7,000 students over the next five years. Top performers will gain global exposure in Japan through the MUFG Young Innovators initiative and at the Singapore FinTech Festival 2026.
Mr. Menon added that if states like Odisha successfully combine technology with job creation, inclusion, and dignity, it could serve as a model for many developing economies.
MoUs Signed to Drive Jobs, Innovation, and Inclusion
An AI Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) has been signed with Sarvam to integrate computing infrastructure, talent development, research, startups, global enterprises, and government use cases. These systems aim to enhance the delivery of government schemes by enabling citizens—especially in rural, tribal, and low-literacy areas—to access information about social benefits and grievance redressal through simple conversational interfaces.
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The Summit also featured the signing of strategic MoUs with corporate partners such as Bajaj General Insurance, Advanze Tech, Annapurna Tech Universe, ESTPL, ProgCap, Propelld, ShovelTech Solutions, Spice Money, Surfin, Symbo Insurtech, Universal Pensions, and Vayana. These partnerships aim to create pathways from education to employment, policy to pilots, and innovation to implementation.
Another partnership involving ANT International and GFTN will support women entrepreneurs in Odisha in scaling their digital commerce efforts and accessing global markets.
The Black Swan Summit India represents a significant step towards establishing Odisha as a globally connected hub for AI-enabled finance, innovation, and global capability services.
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