Category: National

Gautam D Goradia, Founder & CEO, Com-sur Winter is coming: Are you ready? Ask your CCTV infra provider/ system integrator – “Where is the auditing tool that allows me to audit/ review 24 hours of footage from multiple cameras in minutes, reduce data size, support disaster recovery, and generate intelligent reports? That is what we need, not just cameras, storage, VMS, and AI.” In Game of Thrones, House Stark warned – “Winter is coming.” Most ignored them – until the White Walkers arrived. Ghaziabad just happened – Pakistan-linked operatives installed solar-powered CCTV cameras at Delhi Cantonment and Sonipat railway stations. Live feeds streamed to ISI handlers for months. Government has ordered pan-India camera audits. This time, we caught them. What about the next time? Because that is where the real gap lies. A one-time audit of who installed the cameras is necessary. But it is not enough. The larger question is whether the critical location itself is routinely auditing its own footage. Here is the uncomfortable truth – Existing cameras around a sensitive site may well capture the warning signs before an incident – installation activity, repeated visits, unusual loitering, equipment handling, pattern study, environmental change, new vantage points, unfamiliar observers and so on. Cameras may see all of this, but unless someone reviews the footage in a structured and disciplined manner, the signal remains buried. Today we got lucky. Tomorrow? Government audits will identify unauthorized cameras today. Tomorrow, the threat may return in another form. A new camera across the street. A temporary setup on a rooftop. Repeated surveillance with binoculars. Drone-based observation. Slow mapping of movement patterns. Cameras will capture it all. But seeing what the cameras saw is key. Auditing mandates will come. In Raipur, 2,000+ schools are already mandated to audit footage daily. In Maharashtra, all schools are required to ‘check’ (audit/ review/ inspect) CCTV footage at least three times a week. The pattern is clear. Installation alone is not enough. Review discipline will become part of governance. MHA’s PRAHAAR policy demands ‘intelligence-led prevention.’ Critical infrastructure may be required to prove footage review discipline. And remember – critical infrastructure isn’t just nuclear plants, defence, power, telecom. Everything is critical – from airports to zoos. So, once again, ask your CCTV Infra Provider/System Integrator the above question. Because when the mandate arrives, ‘we have cameras’ won’t be enough. You’ll need to prove you reviewed systematically, all of it. Winter is coming. Are you ready – or will you wait until you freeze?

Datasurfr is an AI-powered operational risk intelligence and travel risk management platform designed to help organizations stay ahead of disruptions, threats, and emerging risks. By combining advanced AI capabilities with expert human analysis, Datasurfr enables businesses to make informed decisions, safeguard personnel and assets, and respond effectively to global and local incidents. At the core of the platform is SamAI, an agentic AI trained on Datasurfr’s global risk events database. SamAI automates the work of risk analysts by generating structured alerts, advisories, assessments, and executive reports while ensuring analysts remain in full control of the final output. SamAI – Intelligent Risk Analysis SamAI helps organizations stay ahead of disruptions and threats, understand vulnerabilities across sites, cities, and regions, automate advisories and assessments, deliver timely alerts and intelligence reports, and create polished reports for executives and leadership teams. Key features of SamAI Smarter Research Consistency Control Productivity Boost Datasurfr Predict & GoSafe Solutions Datasurfr Predict Datasurfr Predict is an AI-powered operational risk monitoring solution that combines advanced analytics with expert human analysis. The platform enables security teams to monitor worldwide, regional, and local incidents in near real time while generating tailored alerts, advisories, and mitigation recommendations. Core Capabilities Key benefits Datasurfr is an AI-powered operational risk intelligence and travel risk management platform designed to help organizations stay ahead of disruptions, threats, and emerging risks. By combining advanced AI capabilities with expert human analysis, Datasurfr enables businesses to make informed decisions, safeguard personnel and assets, and respond effectively to global and local incidents Why Predict? Datasurfr Predict empowers organizations with proactive risk visibility, helping businesses anticipate disruptions, monitor operational threats, and implement mitigation strategies before incidents escalate. Datasurfr GoSafe GoSafe is Datasurfr’s AI-powered travel risk management solution developed to safeguard corporate travelers and critical assets. Powered by SamAI, GoSafe integrates global risk intelligence, contextual travel data, and analyst workflows to deliver real-time protection before, during, and after travel. Key Capabilities Why GoSafe? Datasurfr operates across – India, Singapore, London, and Indonesia.

In a decisive display of innovation, thought leadership, and technological excellence, CP PLUS marked a commanding presence across some of India’s most influential industry platforms this month, reaffirming its role as a pioneer in shaping the future of security and intelligent ecosystems. Smart Home Expo At the Smart Home Expo, Mumbai, where the convergence of automation and intelligent living takes center stage, CP PLUS delivered a defining showcase of its next-generation security and smart home ecosystem. With solutions designed to seamlessly integrate safety, convenience, and intelligence, the brand demonstrated how modern surveillance is evolving into a holistic, responsive environment – one that anticipates needs and ensures peace of mind. Moving beyond traditional paradigms, CP PLUS presented a vision where security is not just reactive, but intuitively proactive. Elevating this vision to a broader dialogue, Omar Farooq, PMP®, DGM – Presales at CP PLUS, took the stage as a distinguished panelist in a compelling discussion titled ‘Security That Thinks Ahead: Smart Locks, Sensors & Predictive Intelligence.’ The session underscored a critical shift in the industry, where predictive technologies and AI-led systems are transforming security into an intelligent framework capable of analysis, foresight, and decision-making. His insights reinforced CP PLUS’ commitment to driving this transformation through indigenized innovation and advanced engineering. Smart Build Alliance Knowledge Conclave Continuing its momentum, CP PLUS also made a strong impact at the Smart Build Alliance Knowledge Conclave in Mumbai, an influential forum bringing together visionaries shaping the future of smart infrastructure. Here, the brand highlighted its AI-powered surveillance capabilities, showcasing how data-driven intelligence is redefining situational awareness, operational efficiency, and urban resilience. With future-forward thinking at its core, CP PLUS positioned itself not merely as a participant but as a key architect of next-generation surveillance ecosystems. IBEX India Further extending its footprint, CP PLUS engaged with industry leaders at IBEX India, one of the country’s premier platforms for banking and financial technology. From insightful discussions to immersive live demonstrations, the brand showcased specialized security solutions tailored for the evolving needs of the banking sector. As financial institutions navigate increasingly complex threat landscapes, CP PLUS emphasized robust, scalable, and intelligent security frameworks designed to safeguard critical infrastructure while enabling seamless operations. Across these platforms, a unified narrative emerged – CP PLUS is not just keeping pace with the future of security; it is actively building it. With innovations that are powered by cutting-edge technology and proudly built for Bharat, the brand continues to set new benchmarks in reliability, intelligence, and trust. As industries evolve and security demands grow more sophisticated, CP PLUS stands resolute – driving transformation, enabling safer environments, and shaping a smarter, more secure tomorrow.

The emergence of machine vision effectively solves the problems of means of a single, high error rate of code reading, large fluctuation of bubble counting efficiency and rising labor cost in traditional logistics industry. A series of visual solutions such as automatic capture, code reading, volume measurement and document tracking, are becoming indispensable intelligent means in the logistics sector. Visual tracking management Comprehensively supervise the key production nodes, trace back the visual problem scene accurately, and improve the efficiency of customer complaint processing. However, a large number of goods and packages are often damaged, which will affect the normal operation of enterprises. Although enterprises increase the number of regular inspection and other means to improve the quality of production. However, when the problem really occurs, it is often difficult to quickly lock in the production defects, which requires a lot of manpower, material resources and time cost to systematically investigate the causes of the occurrence, which cannot become the routine means of enterprise daily management of production and operation. Automatic sensing of cargo information Relying on the AI cloud technology framework, the package is automatically weighed, volume measured, barcode recognized, and the data is fused and transmitted to the system server. HikRobot perceives the logistics product data, and then feeds the data back to the business system through the open API interface. For example, DWS system perceives the cargo information such as barcode data, weight and volume data, and then transmits it to the logistics business system, and communicates with the whole sorting system behind to realize data collection and subsequent goods sorting. Logistics perception HikRobot is based on AI for technology empowerment, and uses deep learning and multi-dimensional sensing technology to realize barcode reading, OCR identification and volume measurement of packages. The code reading technology based on deep learning can be competent for all kinds of complex situations such as super large depth of field, wrinkle, dirt, reflection and other abnormal conditions. At the same time, because our camera adopts AI chip platform, it can realize the functions of code reading, surface single picking, OCR recognition and single image enhancement in one equipment manufacturer, which is also the biggest advantage of our products compared with competitive products at home and abroad. Single piece separation system The traditional DWS system needs manual unloading in turn, which is inefficient. Manual unloading cannot strictly control the package spacing, and cannot ensure the maximum operation efficiency of DWS. The single separator + DWS method cannot improve the sorting efficiency. The results show that the output efficiency of the single separator does not match with the sorting efficiency of DWS, and cannot be linked, so the price is expensive and the actual effect is not good. Based on the development needs of the current logistics industry, HikRobot launched a single piece separation system. In logistics, they combine industrial cameras, smart code readers, 3D vision, and AI to automate inspection, sorting, and tracking. Here’s how Hikrobot’s Machine Vision Solutions resolve the sector’s biggest pain points: High error rates in manual sorting & data entry Inaccurate Dimensioning & Weight = Revenue Leakage Damaged Goods & Returns Due to Poor Quality Check Slow Throughput in Peak Season Labour Shortage and Safety in Warehouses No Real-Time Traceability

In a powerful step towards creating safer and more aware communities, NISCAM (National Institute for Skills, Compliance and Management), under the leadership of Pooja Mago, Founder – NISCAM, successfully organized an impactful event titled ‘Women & Fire Safety: Leadership for Safer Spaces’ on 25 April 2026 at The Circle.Work, Gurgaon. The event emerged as one of the first initiatives of its kind dedicated to bringing women to the forefront of fire safety awareness, emergency preparedness, leadership, and community responsibility. At a time when incidents related to fire hazards, emergency negligence, and safety failures are increasing across workplaces, residential societies, schools, and public spaces, the initiative aimed to create awareness that goes beyond compliance and becomes a culture-driven movement. The session witnessed participation from women leaders, educators, safety professionals, legal experts, entrepreneurs, corporate leaders, and social contributors from diverse domains, all united with one common purpose – building safer spaces through awareness, preparedness, and leadership. Addressing the audience, Pooja Mago, Founder – NISCAM, emphasized that safety should not remain limited to policies and technical frameworks alone. A first-of-its-kind initiative empowering women through fire safety awareness & leadership “Women are natural custodians of homes, institutions, workplaces, and communities. When women become aware and prepared, safety becomes stronger at every level of society. This initiative was not just about fire safety; it was about leadership, responsibility, and creating a culture where preparedness becomes a way of life,” she shared. The event was graced by Chief Guest Somnath Bharti, Advocate, Supreme Court of India and Ex-MLA Delhi, whose presence added immense value to the initiative. He appreciated the effort taken by NISCAM in creating a socially relevant platform that connects safety awareness with women leadership and community empowerment. The panel discussion brought together distinguished personalities from varied backgrounds including – S.G. Mahapatra – Principal, BGIS ISKON Vrindavan, Rekha Gairola – Director, Security & Safety, Adobe, Babita Nagar – International Wrestler & Gold Medalist, World Police & Fire Games, Netherlands, and Veena Gupta – Founder, Seam Risk Solutions. The session was effectively moderated by Bharti Singh Kalappa, Head Facilities – Noida International Airport, who brought practical insights into leadership, workplace preparedness, and safety consciousness. The keynote session by Adv. Neyha Chaudhary on ‘Why & How Women’s Awareness Can Save Lives’ became one of the most impactful highlights of the event. Her powerful perspective on legal awareness, women’s rights, compliance, and preparedness deeply resonated with the audience and reinforced the importance of informed action during emergencies. A major attraction of the event was the live fire safety awareness and demonstration session conducted by the knowledge partner – Act Masters Team, which received tremendous appreciation from the audience for its practical learning approach and real-time demonstrations. The session was led by Gurpreet Singh, Founder – Act Masters, who emphasized the urgent need for practical fire safety education in everyday environments. Speaking during the session, Gurpreet Singh said, “Fire safety awareness should not begin after an incident occurs. Preparedness must become a habit. Every workplace, school, institution, and household should understand the basics of emergency response because awareness, timely action, and calm decision-making can save lives.” The live demonstrations conducted by the Act Masters team educated participants on Emergency Response techniques, Fire Extinguisher handling, basic evacuation awareness, Fire prevention practices, and immediate actions during crisis situations. The audience highly appreciated the practical and engaging approach of the session, especially the focus on empowering women to confidently respond during emergencies instead of depending entirely on external help. The event concluded with a strong message that safety is not gender-driven, but women-led awareness can significantly influence safer homes, safer workplaces, and safer communities. Participants described the initiative as – Following the overwhelming response and appreciation, NISCAM now aims to take this movement forward through future awareness drives, leadership forums, training initiatives, community outreach programs, and dedicated women-led platforms focused on safety, empowerment, and preparedness. The initiative has set the foundation for a larger movement where women are not only participants in safety conversations – but leaders driving change, resilience, and responsibility across society.

For years, surveillance system design has relied on a familiar approach – deploy multiple fixed cameras to eliminate blind spots and increase coverage. While effective, this method often introduces higher infrastructure costs, increased storage requirements, complex monitoring workflows, and greater operational overhead. As modern environments become more dynamic and security expectations continue to rise, the industry is shifting toward a more intelligent approach – panoramic surveillance. Today’s advanced 360° cameras are no longer simple wide-angle devices. They have evolved into intelligent, AI-enabled sensors capable of delivering complete situational awareness, intelligent event detection, and operational efficiency through a single device. The need for complete situational awareness Traditional fixed cameras provide focused visibility, but large areas such as airports, retail environments, warehouses, manufacturing facilities, educational campuses, transportation hubs, smart city deployments and likes often require multiple cameras to achieve full coverage. This increases installation complexity, cabling and switching requirements, VMS licensing costs, and monitoring fatigue for operators. Panoramic cameras address these challenges by delivering a true hemispherical field of view capable of monitoring an entire scene through a single installation point. Modern 360° surveillance is therefore not only about wider coverage – it is about simplifying surveillance architecture while improving operational visibility From wide-angle viewing to intelligent monitoring Earlier generations of fisheye cameras were often limited by image distortion and reduced usability. Advances in imaging technology, processing power, and edge AI have significantly changed this perception. Next-generation panoramic cameras now combine high-resolution imaging, edge and backend de-warping, AI-driven analytics, multi-stream architecture, intelligent event classification, and low-light optimisation. Together, these capabilities transform panoramic devices from passive overview cameras into intelligent operational tools. The latest generation of panoramic cameras also integrates advanced deep neural network acceleration engines capable of improving object classification accuracy and reducing false alarms in complex environments. The industry is moving toward surveillance systems that deliver maximum situational awareness with minimal infrastructure complexity. Intelligent panoramic cameras are playing a critical role in this transition by combining full-scene visibility, edge AI, and operational efficiency into a single platform Gaurav TaywadeManaging Director – India, Vicon Why de-warping matters One of the most important advancements in panoramic surveillance is de-warping technology. A fisheye lens naturally captures a curved image to achieve 360° coverage. De-warping processes this image into multiple usable viewing modes such as panorama view, quad view, digital PTZ, and multi-region monitoring. This allows operators to monitor large areas intuitively without losing the benefits of full-scene coverage. Modern systems now support both Edge de-warping – processing directly inside the camera; and Backend de-warping – processing at the VMS or workstation level. This flexibility improves bandwidth efficiency while enhancing the user experience. The role of AI in panoramic surveillance As panoramic cameras cover larger scenes, intelligent filtering becomes essential. Without analytics, operators can easily become overwhelmed by excessive visual information. AI-enabled panoramic cameras now support advanced analytics such as human and vehicle classification, people counting, line crossing detection, object classification, motion analytics, and tampering alerts. By processing events directly at the edge, these systems reduce false alarms while improving response speed and operational efficiency. This becomes especially valuable in high-traffic or mission-critical environments where operators need to focus only on relevant events. Optimising performance in challenging environments Modern surveillance systems must operate reliably in difficult lighting and environmental conditions. Advanced panoramic cameras now integrate technologies such as High Dynamic Range (HDR), Infrared illumination, 3D motion-compensated noise reduction, and true day/ night functionality. These features ensure consistent image clarity in bright backlit scenes, low-light areas, indoor-outdoor transitions, and night-time surveillance conditions. Additionally, ruggedised construction with IP66 weather protection and IK10 vandal resistance ensures long-term reliability in exposed or high-risk installations. Cybersecurity and future readiness As cameras become smarter and more connected, cybersecurity is becoming equally important. Modern intelligent surveillance platforms are expected to support secure communication protocols, role-based access control, secure firmware architecture, TPM-based hardware trust, and encryption for data in transit and at rest. These capabilities ensure that intelligent edge devices remain secure, scalable, and future-ready within enterprise and critical infrastructure environments. The shift toward multi-function intelligent sensors The role of panoramic surveillance is also expanding beyond traditional security. Today’s intelligent panoramic platforms are increasingly used for occupancy monitoring, operational analytics, safety compliance, crowd flow analysis, incident verification and situational awareness enhancement. This evolution aligns with a broader industry trend where surveillance devices are becoming multi-functional intelligent sensors capable of supporting both security and operational decision-making. A leadership perspective From an industry standpoint, panoramic surveillance is evolving rapidly from a convenience feature into a strategic surveillance architecture. Building future-ready panoramic surveillance Reflecting this industry direction, Vicon recently expanded its Roughneck® Pro portfolio with an intelligent panoramic surveillance platform engineered for modern security environments. Designed with advanced edge AI capabilities, ruggedised construction, and enterprise-grade cybersecurity, the platform has also undergone STQC testing and complies with BIS Essential Requirements (ER), reinforcing its readiness for critical infrastructure and future-focused deployments. The platform combines 12MP panoramic imaging, edge de-warping, AI-powered analytics, and multi-stream architecture to deliver comprehensive situational awareness while reducing infrastructure complexity. Support for ONVIF Profiles S, G, T, and M further enables seamless interoperability across modern surveillance ecosystems. The future of 360° surveillance As AI, edge processing, and intelligent video management continue to evolve, panoramic cameras will become increasingly central to modern surveillance deployments. Future systems will focus on – greater edge intelligence, enhanced metadata integration, smarter event correlation, multi-sensor convergence, and autonomous incident awareness. The objective is no longer simply recording wider scenes – it is enabling systems to understand, interpret, and respond intelligently across the entire environment. Conclusion Panoramic surveillance has evolved far beyond the traditional fisheye camera. With advancements in AI, de-warping, cybersecurity, and intelligent edge processing, modern 360° cameras are redefining how organisations approach coverage, efficiency, and situational awareness. As security environments become larger and more interconnected, intelligent panoramic surveillance will play an increasingly important role in building scalable, future-ready security ecosystems.

Unveils campaign through immersive meet-and-greet engagements across New Delhi and Chandigarh Aditya Infotech, the parent company of India’s leading surveillance brand CP PLUS, recently announced the launch of its latest TVC in collaboration with Punjab Kings, marking a significant milestone in the brand’s ongoing association as the team’s Title Sponsor. Conceptualized to blend the high-performance energy of sport with the precision and reliability of next-generation security solutions, the TVC reinforces CP PLUS’ positioning as a technology leader driving a safer, smarter India. The campaign leverages the mass appeal of cricket to bring alive the brand’s core values of trust, vigilance, and performance at scale. As part of this campaign, CP PLUS curated a series of immersive on-ground experiences, including exclusive meet-and-greet events held in New Delhi and Chandigarh. These engagements brought together Punjab Kings players, brand leadership, partners, media, and community members, creating a dynamic platform for interaction and brand storytelling. The New Delhi engagement, which also marked the official unveiling of the TVC, was designed as a vibrant and inclusive experience featuring informal play sessions, interactive activities, and participation from underprivileged children – underscoring CP PLUS’ commitment to purpose-driven brand building. Similarly, the Chandigarh event extended the campaign’s reach, deepening regional engagement and strengthening the emotional connect with fans and stakeholders. Moving beyond conventional launch formats, these experiences reflect CP PLUS’ vision of building meaningful, people-centric narratives that go beyond products to create lasting impact. Commenting on the launch, Aditya Khemka, Managing Director, CP PLUS, said, “Our association with Punjab Kings is a strategic step towards building deeper cultural and community connections beyond our core business. At CP PLUS, we believe true leadership lies not just in technological innovation, but in creating meaningful impact. This TVC and the larger campaign reflect our vision of engaging audiences through powerful storytelling, while reinforcing our commitment to a safer and smarter India.” Through this campaign, CP PLUS continues to strengthen its integrated marketing approach – merging brand partnerships, mass media storytelling, and on-ground experiences to drive deeper consumer connect and recall.

Dr. Pavan DuggalAdvocate, Supreme Court of IndiaArchitect, Global AI Accountability On the eve of the International AI Accountability Forum 2026, India is positioned to declare the world’s first multi-actor liability framework for autonomous artificial agents. The window will not remain open. On 14 May 2026, when the International AI Accountability Forum convenes at New Delhi, the international community will be forced to confront the question every legal system on the planet has so far chosen to defer – who is liable when an autonomous artificial agent acts upon the world and causes harm? The question is no longer hypothetical. It is the operating reality of every major economy in 2026. The agentic turn in artificial intelligence is complete. Earlier generations of AI advised. Contemporary agentic systems act. An autonomous agent today receives a goal, decomposes it into sub-tasks, plans across multiple tools and environments, executes against the real world, observes outcomes, and adapts. Contracts are being concluded by such agents. Financial trades are being executed by them. Code is being generated and deployed by them. Consequential real-world tasks are being carried out by them across borders and across legal regimes. And yet, in every major jurisdiction on the planet, the law of liability remains designed for a world in which the consequential decision was reserved to a human actor. That world no longer exists. The consequence is doctrinal strain on a scale the international legal order has not previously seen. The law of agency, drafted for human agents and human principals, strains when an artificial agent transacts. The law of vicarious liability strains when an agent causes harm through emergent behaviour that no developer expressly programmed and no deployer expressly authorised. The law of mens rea strains when an artificial agent commits an act that, performed by a human, would constitute fraud, harassment, or defamation. Jurisdictional rules strain when developer, deployer, and victim are domiciled in three different sovereign jurisdictions. Where the law strains, accountability fails. Where accountability fails, the victim bears the cost of innovation that benefited others. That is not a regulatory inconvenience. It is a moral failure. A framework adequate to the technology The Duggal Global Agentic AI Liability Framework, advanced under the doctrinal authority of the New Delhi Accord on AI and Emerging Tech Law of 24 July 2025 and proposed for adoption at the International AI Accountability Forum, is designed to close this gap. It rests upon five operative pillars that, together, supply the first comprehensive multi-actor liability architecture engineered specifically for autonomous AI agents. First, tiered multi-actor liability. Responsibility for agentic harm must attach across the entire supply chain – to the model developer for foundational design choices, training-data composition, and disclosure of known limitations; to the orchestration-layer operator for the design of planning and tool-use scaffolding; to the deployment platform for the integration of safeguards and post-deployment monitoring; and to the end-user enterprise for the appropriateness of deployment, the design of oversight, and the quality of consent and disclosure to affected persons. Liability is joint and several where causal contributions overlap. Complexity cannot be the alibi of irresponsibility. Second, autonomous contract formation. Where an agentic AI concludes a contract on behalf of a deployer, the contract binds the deployer to the extent the agent acted within an objectively communicated scope of authority, with appropriate defences preserved for fraudulent inducement and unconscionability. Disclosure that one is contracting with an artificial agent is a substantive requirement, not a courtesy. The counterparty is entitled to know. Third, vicarious liability for learned behaviour. The Framework rejects the proposition that a deployer escapes liability merely because the agent caused harm through emergent or unanticipated behaviour. Where a deployer placed the agent in operation, foreseeably benefited from its operation, and possessed the capacity to design oversight, monitoring, and override, the deployer bears responsibility within the agent’s operational footprint. The doctrine is calibrated, not strict. It is not, however, absent. Fourth, override and kill-switch obligations. An agentic AI deployed in any consequential context must be designed with capacities for real-time human interruption and authorised termination. Their absence is, in itself, a basis of liability where harm ensues. Fifth, insurance, compensation, and victim redress. Consequential agentic deployments must be backed by mandatory financial-responsibility arrangements calibrated to risk, and a no-fault compensation pool, funded by levies on such deployments, must supply redress where individual apportionment is inefficient. No victim of agentic AI harm should remain uncompensated by reason of doctrinal complexity alone. The Indian window The European Union’s Artificial Intelligence Act, however ambitious within its regional reach, is structured around product-safety logic that maps imperfectly onto agentic systems and is thin on civil liability. The United States operates without comprehensive federal AI legislation. The OECD Principles and the UNESCO Recommendation are instruments of soft law. The Council of Europe Framework Convention establishes principles but operates primarily as an inter-state instrument with limited reach against private deployers. Across the entire international architecture, there exists no harmonised cross-border liability regime for the agentic systems already in deployment. This is the absence that the International AI Accountability Forum 2026 is convened to fill. It is the absence that India is positioned – by constitutional tradition, by demographic weight, by convening capacity, and by the doctrinal momentum generated through Global Summit in Artificial Intelligence Emerging Tech Law and Governance 2025 (GSAIET 2025) and the New Delhi Declaration on Responsible Artificial Intelligence endorsed by eighty-six countries at Bharat Mandapam in February 2026 – to address on behalf of the international community. Agentic AI without legal accountability is civilisational recklessness. The law of artificial intelligence is being written now, in this calendar year, on this continent. Those who participate in its writing will determine its content. Those who do not will inherit it. Dr Pavan Duggal is Advocate, Supreme Court of India; Founder and Chairman of the Global Artificial Intelligence Law and Governance Institute; Chief Executive of the Artificial Intelligence Law Hub; and Founder and Honorary Chancellor of Cyberlaw University. He is the architect of the Duggal…

Designers Like Apoorva Avadhana Are Rewriting the Approach India’s rapid expansion in IoT, smart surveillance, and AI-driven security systems has brought data privacy into sharp focus. From CCTV networks and biometric authentication to mobile-based identity verification, the country is building one of the world’s largest data ecosystems. Yet, within this transformation lies a complex paradox – the same data pipelines raising privacy concerns are also enabling unprecedented breakthroughs in accessibility. For millions of Indians with disabilities, especially those with visual or motor impairments, access to everyday systems such as banking, governance, and identity verification, often remains deeply uneven. Technologies like ‘Seeing AI’ demonstrate this tension clearly. Acting as a ‘virtual eye,’ such tools can read documents, detect objects, and even guide users to signature fields. But they also require processing sensitive personal data, often raising concerns around where that data goes and how it is used. This is not a new trade-off. Historically, accessibility has been a quiet catalyst for technological advancement. Alt text and captions that originally designed for people with vision impairments or low-bandwidth environments, have become foundational datasets for training computer vision systems. Today, those same systems power generative AI to enabling machines to create images from text. Accessibility, in many ways, has been the unseen infrastructure behind modern AI. But in India’s current IoT and security landscape, the stakes are higher. For individuals with motor disabilities, even something as basic as writing or signing a document can be a barrier to accessing financial systems, government schemes, or legal identity. Increasingly, mobile cameras and sensor-based systems are being used to track facial movements, gestures, and expressions to enable interaction without touch. These systems, while powerful, operate at the intersection of biometric data, surveillance, and personal autonomy. It is within this intersection that Apoorva Avadhana’s work offers a critical alternative. Apoorva talking on Rural Inclusive Innovation Methodologies At The Invisabal Panel With The Tata Steel Foundation At The International Purple Fest 2025, Panjim, Goa. At the International Purple Fest 2025, where global conversations on inclusion met grassroots realities, Apoorva emphasized a shift in thinking – accessibility is not about high-end solutions, but about enabling ‘survival, dignity, and participation.’ Speaking at the InviSabal panel on rural inclusive innovation, she highlighted how technologies designed for controlled, urban environments often fail in rural India – where infrastructure is fragile, maintenance is limited, and costs are prohibitive. Her work directly engages with one of the most overlooked barriers in India’s digital ecosystem – the inability to produce a consistent signature. Without it, individuals can be excluded from banking, welfare enrollment, and identity systems. While biometric solutions exist, they often introduce new privacy risks and dependencies on centralized systems. Through her research with the NYU Ability Project, Apoorva contributed to the development of a low-cost, open-source assistive tool that reimagines this problem through a privacy-aware lens. Using AI-based face mesh tracking, the tool converts subtle neck movements into digital strokes, allowing users with severe mobility impairments including quadriplegia to draw signatures independently. Crucially, the system operates differently from conventional camera-based tracking technologies. It runs locally on the device, does not capture or store images, and instead relies on geometric relationships such as the distance between facial key-points like the eyes and nose to interpret movement. The output is stored directly on the user’s phone, ensuring that sensitive data, including signatures, never leaves the device. In an era where IoT systems often default to cloud-based data processing and continuous surveillance, this approach is significant. It demonstrates that accessibility does not have to come at the cost of privacy. Instead, through thoughtful design, it is possible to build systems that are both empowering and secure. Apoorva’s broader methodology, what she terms ‘receptive design,’ extends beyond technology itself. It is participatory in nature and receptive to people’s everyday way to living and working. Her work draws from India’s culture of jugaad, emphasizing adaptability, local materials, and co-creation with communities. Whether it is designing assistive tools that function without stable internet or leveraging everyday devices like smartphones as accessibility interfaces, her approach resists the notion that innovation must be expensive or centralized. Her professional experience with organizations such as IBM and MetLife further grounds her work in large-scale systems, where accessibility, security, and compliance intersect. Yet, her focus remains consistent – designing technologies that work in the real world, across diverse socio-economic conditions. As India continues to expand its IoT and surveillance infrastructure, the question is no longer just how to secure data but also how to ensure that the systems built on that data are inclusive by design. Accessibility and privacy are often framed as competing priorities. Apoorva Avadhana’s work challenges that assumption, showing that they can and must be designed together. Because in a data-driven society, true security is not just about protecting information. It is about ensuring that the systems we build do not exclude the very people they are meant to serve. About Apoorva Avadhana Apoorva Explaining Concept of Human-Centered Design & Receptive Design Methodologies Apoorva Avadhana is a recognized design researcher specializing in accessibility, inclusive design, and assistive technology. Based in Mumbai and affiliated with The Ability Lab at New York University, she is CPACC certified and identified as a neurodivergent design researcher. With an MPS from NYU’s Interactive Telecommunications Program and a BDes in Human-Centered Design from the Srishti Institute of Art Design and Technology, Apoorva’s work bridges grassroots innovation with inclusive design, using low-cost and open-source emerging technologies to address accessibility in activities of daily living (ADL). She has professional experience as a UX researcher and Accessibility SME, for clients like IBM, TSB, and MetLife. Her research, residencies, and exhibitions have received international recognition, with her work presented at leading conferences and supported by numerous grants and awards. She has gained badges, honours and laurels and she led many important workshops and trainings in Accessibility and Corporate Design Thinking Frameworks. Her work spans a vast gamut of inclusive design, research, teaching, and interdisciplinary collaborations at the intersection of AI, accessibility, and…

In a powerful testament to its steadfast commitment to innovation and indigenization, CP PLUS has been conferred with two of the industry’s most prominent recognitions, further solidifying its position as a frontrunner in the evolving landscape of smart security and surveillance. Leading this moment of pride, CP PLUS was honoured with the Best Smart Security Solution Brand award at the NDTV Gadgets 360 Awards 2026 – one of the country’s most respected platforms celebrating technological excellence. This recognition underscores the brand’s relentless pursuit of next-generation innovations, from AI-powered surveillance to intelligent monitoring ecosystems that are redefining how security is perceived and implemented. As the industry rapidly transitions toward smarter, more adaptive technologies, CP PLUS continues to lead from the front – shaping the future of security with precision, intelligence, and trust. Further amplifying this achievement, CP PLUS was also honoured at the Times Business Icons North 2026, presented by The Times of India, under the category of Made-in-Bharat Security & Surveillance Solutions. This accolade is a powerful endorsement of CP PLUS’s deep-rooted commitment to building indigenous technologies that align with India’s vision of self-reliance and global leadership. It reflects the brand’s continued focus on engineering solutions that are not only technologically advanced but also tailored to the unique security needs of the nation. Together, these recognitions highlight a defining narrative that the future of security is being reimagined, and CP PLUS is at the helm of this transformation. With a robust portfolio of STQC-certified, cyber-secure, and AI-driven solutions, the brand continues to push boundaries, delivering innovations that empower enterprises, institutions, and citizens alike. As CP PLUS continues its journey of excellence, these accolades stand as milestones in a larger vision; one that is driven by innovation, guided by trust, and committed to powering a safer, smarter India. Read More