Gartner Data & Analytics Summit 2026 India: Day 1 Highlights

We are bringing you news and highlights from the Gartner Data & Analytics Summit, taking place this week in Mumbai, India. Below is a collection of the key announcements and insights coming out of the conference.

On Day 1 of the conference, we are highlighting Gartner’s opening keynote presentation on navigating AI in the data and analytics (D&A) journey to value, exploring the future of D&A through 2030, and sharing actionable data governance strategies in seven easy steps. Be sure to check this page throughout the day for updates.

Presented by Robert Thanaraj, Sr Director Analyst, Gartner, and Gareth Herschel, VP Analyst, Gartner 

AI is accelerating new possibilities for data and analytics. Robert Thanaraj, Sr Director Analyst, and Gareth Herschel, VP Analyst at Gartner, discussed how a thoughtful approach to speed, direction and managing uncertainties help D&A leaders derive value from AI.

• “In 2025, the odds of an AI initiative achieving a return on investment (ROI) were only one in five.”

• “The most common ROI roadblocks include a lack of understanding of costs, an inability to scale effectively, and insufficient data quality. Without these strong foundations, AI will remain what it is for most organizations today: a costly experiment.”

• Value is often measured using ROI, which D&A leaders need to think of as more than just a financial measure. There are three ways to derive value from AI: 

  • Set AI ambition, providing a return on intelligence.

  • Strengthen AI foundations to achieve a return on integrity.

  • Empower people for AI transformation, contributing to a return on individuals.

• “There are two ways to reduce AI risk. First, organizations can prevent the exposure of inappropriate data to AI systems or LLMs through AI governance. Second, they can reduce inaccuracies, misunderstandings and hallucinations with a well-designed context layer. These initial steps help ensure that data is AI-ready, trusted and aligned with intended use cases.”

Journalists can receive additional information and/or request an interview with Robert Thanaraj or Gareth Herschel by contacting Sonika Choubey at sonika.choubey@gartner.com.