In this enlightening talk, Prashant Shukla (National Technology Officer, Microsoft India) elucidates how dramatically the advent of artificial intelligence and digital technology can help transform agriculture, healthcare, and education in rural India. Prashant Shukla’s career over the last 24 years spans successful leadership roles in marketing, sales, product management and software development in the US and India. Currently, Prashant is working as National Technology Officer for Microsoft India. In this role, he successfully drove the first TV Whitespace Pilot to provide an alternative for the cheap rural internet. He also drove the design of a framework for the first Indian digital village and its implementation in Harisal, an effort sponsored by the Chief Minister of India’s most economically advanced state, Maharashtra. The digital transformation of Harisal illustrates the power technology has to benefit those living in rural India and puts in place a framework that can be replicated in hundreds of rural villages. He also ideated the integration of Skype and Aadhaar, a project with potential for creating virtual presence possibilities for a whole host of scenarios.

Prior to this, Prashant worked with Microsoft and Novell Inc. in the US. Prashant has also worked in senior leadership positions in India that include leading CMC, a TATA Enterprise, as its Chief Operating Officer and serving as Senior Vice President for TechMahindra/ Mahindra Satyam.

Raised in India, Prashant graduated from the prestigious Indian Institute of Technology, Kanpur. Later he pursued an MBA degree from the US. An ardent academic, Prashant co-authored a book on “Atomic Electronic Structure.” This talk was given at a TEDx event using the TED conference format but independently organized by a local community. Learn more at https://www.ted.com/tedx