New Delhi: Punjab National Bank (PNB) has commenced the ‘PNB AI Summit 2026’ at its Corporate Office in Dwarka, New Delhi, bringing together policymakers, regulators, banking executives, fintech innovators, technology leaders, cybersecurity experts and academia on a common platform.
The two-day summit, themed ‘Innovate, Integrate & Elevate’, focuses on the transformative potential of Artificial Intelligence (AI), Generative AI, Agentic AI, quantum technologies and cybersecurity in the banking, financial services and insurance (BFSI) sector.
The summit aims to explore how AI can move beyond experimentation and proof-of-concept projects to deliver enterprise-scale impact, smarter innovation and responsible transformation across Indian banking.
PNB AI Summit 2026 Brings Banking and Technology Leaders Together
The summit was inaugurated in the presence of senior officials and industry leaders, including:
- Dr. Debasish Prusty, Additional Secretary, Department of Financial Services (DFS)
- Ashok Chandra, MD & CEO, PNB
- Atul Kumar Goel, Chief Executive, Indian Banks’ Association (IBA)
- Dr. J.B.V. Reddy, Mission Director, National Quantum Mission (NQM)
- Dr. Pratik Sen, Dean-DOSA, IIT Kanpur
- Gulshan Rai, former Information Security Advisor
The event provided a platform for discussions on the future of Indian banking in an increasingly AI-driven environment.
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AI Adoption in Banking Aligned With India AI Mission
Addressing the summit as Chief Guest, Dr. Debasish Prusty highlighted the alignment of AI adoption in the banking sector with the national India AI Mission.
PNB MD and CEO Ashok Chandra outlined the bank’s vision of using AI, Generative AI and Agentic AI to transform key areas of banking.
The focus areas include:
- Customer service
- Operational efficiency
- Risk management
- Financial inclusion
- Personalised banking
- Enterprise-wide AI adoption
Chandra emphasised the potential of advanced AI technologies to create more efficient and customer-focused banking services.
Quantum-Safe Banking and Cybersecurity Take Centre Stage
Dr. J.B.V. Reddy highlighted the importance of quantum-safe banking and future-ready cybersecurity architectures as financial institutions increasingly adopt advanced technologies.
IBA Chief Executive Atul Kumar Goel stressed the importance of collaborative innovation and cyber resilience across the banking ecosystem.
The discussions recognised that rapid technology adoption must be accompanied by strong security frameworks, governance mechanisms and operational resilience.
PNB Cyber Security Hackathon 2026 Focuses on Quantum-Proof Systems
A major highlight of the summit was the PNB Cyber Security Hackathon 2026, organised by PNB under the aegis of the Department of Financial Services, Ministry of Finance, in collaboration with IIT Kanpur.
The hackathon was conducted under the theme ‘Quantum-Proof Systems for Public-Facing Applications’.
Participants were challenged to develop an automated solution capable of:
- Assessing public-facing applications
- Identifying cryptographic implementations
- Validating Post-Quantum Cryptography (PQC) readiness
- Generating a Cryptographic Bill of Materials (CBOM)
The winners were felicitated with cash prizes for developing innovative solutions aimed at addressing emerging cyber threats and strengthening the security posture of the banking sector.
AI Experience Zone Showcases Nearly 20 Technology Solutions
The hackathon was followed by a walkthrough of the AI Experience Zone, which featured nearly 20 kiosks showcasing solutions from fintechs, hyperscalers, technology companies, startups and knowledge partners.
Leading technology companies including AWS, Microsoft and Google participated in the experience zone.
The showcased solutions covered areas such as:
- Artificial Intelligence
- Generative AI
- Cybersecurity
- Data analytics
- Customer service
- Emerging banking technologies
The zone provided participants with an opportunity to explore practical applications of emerging technologies in banking.
Summit Explores AI-First Future of Indian Banking
Technical sessions during the summit focused on how AI is expected to reshape the banking ecosystem.
Discussions covered several emerging areas, including AI-driven digital payments, fraud prevention and the emergence of the AI-First Bank.
Experts also discussed multilingual AI models aimed at advancing ‘AI for Bharat’, along with governance frameworks required for responsible AI adoption.
A key message from the discussions was that AI is moving beyond experimentation and increasingly becoming a foundational capability across banking operations.
Industry Leaders Discuss Scaling AI From POC to Enterprise
The afternoon sessions focused on strategic priorities for Indian banking in an AI-first environment.
Industry leaders discussed the challenges and opportunities involved in moving AI projects from Proof of Concept (PoC) to enterprise-wide deployment.
Key areas of discussion included:
- Scaling AI across banking operations
- Measuring business impact
- Creating personalised banking experiences
- Workforce transformation
- Cybersecurity
- Operational resilience
- AI governance
Global perspectives from institutions such as DBS also highlighted the importance of governance, workforce readiness, cybersecurity and operational resilience in extracting long-term value from AI.
PNB Emphasises Responsible and Secure AI Adoption
The overarching message from the first day of the summit was that AI, Generative AI and Agentic AI are set to fundamentally reshape banking.
However, participants stressed that technological innovation must be balanced with:
- Trust
- Strong governance
- Cybersecurity
- Responsible adoption
- Operational resilience
- Workforce transformation
The summit demonstrated PNB’s focus on bringing together stakeholders from across the banking, technology, academic and fintech ecosystems to accelerate responsible AI-led transformation.
PNB’s Vision for AI-Led Banking Transformation
Through the summit, PNB is seeking to create a broader dialogue around the practical and responsible deployment of emerging technologies in Indian banking.
The discussions on AI, quantum computing and cybersecurity are aimed at helping financial institutions prepare for a technology-driven future while maintaining customer trust and resilience.
The event also reinforces PNB’s focus on moving AI initiatives from isolated experiments towards scalable, enterprise-level applications that can deliver measurable benefits across the banking ecosystem.
About Punjab National Bank (PNB)
Punjab National Bank (PNB) is one of India’s leading public sector banks, offering banking and financial services across retail, corporate and institutional segments. Headquartered in New Delhi, PNB is focusing on digital transformation and emerging technologies to enhance customer experience, operational efficiency, cybersecurity and financial inclusion.
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