Student to speaker: Harvard School invites CM Revanth to address AI symposium on Mar 27

Hyderabad/Cambridge: Harvard Kennedy School has invited Telangana Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy to address its inaugural AI Policy Symposium on March 27, 2026.

A galaxy of leaders from government, industry, and academia will be participating in the event. CM Revanth Reddy is slated to speak on the panel titled “AI as Infrastructure & Compute Power: Impact on Livability & Workforce,” where he will share insights into Telangana’s ambitious digital transformation.

Spotlight on Bharat Future City

The invitation from the Organizing Team—comprising the Business & Government PIC and the AI & Tech Policy Caucus—specifically highlights the Chief Minister’s leadership in conceptualizing the AI City. As a centerpiece of the Bharat Future City vision, the 200-acre AI City near Hyderabad is designed to be a global hub for research, high-performance computing, and innovation.

Harvard organizers noted that Reddy’s perspective is "invaluable" for understanding how governments can create the necessary enabling conditions—such as land, power, and regulatory frameworks—while ensuring that AI scaling leads to responsible job creation and improved urban livability.

From Student to Speaker

This invitation comes on the heels of a historic academic milestone for the Chief Minister. In January 2026, Revanth Reddy became the first sitting Indian Chief Minister to enroll in and complete an executive education program at Harvard.

The Program: He attended the "Leadership in the 21st Century" course, an intensive week-long residency involving global case studies and adaptive leadership training.

The Experience: Despite freezing temperatures in Massachusetts, the CM completed the program alongside 60 global peers, engaging in rigorous classroom sessions from 7 AM to 6 PM.

The Vision: During his January visit, Reddy also met with Dean Jeremy Weinstein of the Kennedy School and Prof. Dustin Tingley of Harvard-X to discuss the "Telangana Rising" vision, laying the groundwork for future institutional collaborations.

Why This Matters

The AI Symposium aims to bridge the gap between technical AI development and public policy. By featuring the leader of India’s youngest state, Harvard is signaling that the world is looking toward Hyderabad as a laboratory for "real implementation" of AI governance. The session will explore:

Compute Corridors: How strategic infrastructure shapes national competitiveness.

Workforce Pathways: Transitioning local talent into high-tech AI roles.

Sustainable Infrastructure: Managing the massive energy and data needs of AI responsibly.