Pune Public Policy Festival Returns For 3rd Edition: Dates, Venue, Speakers & All You Need To Know

The Pune Public Policy Festival (PPPF) returns for its third edition on January 9-10, 2026, at the Gokhale Institute of Politics & Economics, bringing together some of India’s most influential voices in governance, technology, industry and academia.

Designed to advance India’s policy conversation through rigorous, evidence-driven dialogue, PPPF 2026 will centre on the theme “Decoding Technology and Society," reflecting the country’s evolving technological landscape and its implications for its citizens and global competitiveness.

The two-day festival will delve into critical issues shaping India’s policy future, including AI governance, financial innovation, cultural IP, mental health in the AI age, and the resilience of India’s institutional architecture.

This year’s speaker line-up brings together senior policymakers, technologists, investors, and industry leaders for two days of focused, policy-oriented discussions.

Day 1 will examine the impact of technology on financial services; the current landscape and future direction of science and technology policy in India; the role of technology in supporting mental health systems; and the implications of technology for higher education. The day will conclude with a conversation with Chief of Defence Staff General Anil Chauhan.

Day 2 will focus on India’s AI start-up ecosystem, global tech wars and their implications for India, the integration of AI across government and industry, and a high-level dialogue on strengthening state capacity in the digital era.

Among the prominent voices at PPPF 2026 are Abhay Karandikar (Secretary, Department of Science & Technology, Government of India), Shashank Mani Tripathi (MP, Lok Sabha), Ashish Dhawan (CEO, The Convergence Foundation), Vijay Gokhale (Former Foreign Secretary of India), Mayur Datar (VP of Applied Sciences, Microsoft), Pranay Kotasthane (Deputy Director, Takshashila Institution), Dr. Aniruddha Malpani (Founder, Malpani Ventures), Rishi Bal (Head, BharatGen), Ninad Chhaya (Senior VP of Corporate Development, Reliance Games), and Anchal Jajodia (Co-Founder, Cybrilla).