The Reserve Bank of India on Monday inaugurated Samvad 2026, a two-day international seminar for central banks in New Delhi, with RBI Governor Sanjay Malhotra delivering the welcome address and Union Finance and Corporate Affairs Minister Nirmala Sitharaman giving the keynote address.

The RBI said the seminar brings together central bank Governors, Deputy Governors and senior officials from around the world, alongside representatives of multilateral development institutions, regulatory authorities and senior leaders from the financial services industry. Discussions will focus on monetary policy, the growing role of Artificial Intelligence in finance, financial inclusion, financial stability and the evolution of payment systems.

Speaking on financial stability amid geopolitical and technological transformation, Principal Secretary-2 to the Prime Minister Shaktikanta Das said financial institutions need to strengthen balance sheets, invest in human capital and build buffers, and called for stronger monetary-fiscal coordination and reinforced central bank regulatory and supervisory capacity; he cautioned that untested AI valuations and uncertain profitability could amplify financial vulnerabilities.

Chief Economic Adviser V. Anantha Nageswaran, delivering a keynote on financial inclusion, said inclusion is not a peripheral objective but lies at the core of central banking, and that access to finance can lead to rising incomes and economic opportunities.

The RBI said the seminar is aimed at fostering dialogue and cooperation among central banks as they navigate a rapidly changing economic and technological landscape.

Sources: IANS, Informist Media, Reserve Bank of India (post on X).