Bihar-Born Kanishka Narayan Gets Big Role As UK's First AI Minister In Andy Burnham's New Cabinet | All About Him

Andy Burnham officially took office as the UK's new Prime Minister on Monday, succeeding Keir Starmer. After taking charge, he signalled a new direction for the government with a major Cabinet reshuffle. Burnham unveiled plans to introduce a 10-year strategy to address the cost-of-living crisis. His Cabinet also reflects a strong Indian-origin presence, with Lisa Nandy retaining the culture portfolio and Kanishka Narayan being appointed Minister of State for Artificial Intelligence.

Who Is Kanishka Narayan?

Kanishka Narayan, 36, will now serve jointly in the Cabinet Office and the Department for Business, Innovation, Science and Trade, and will also attend Cabinet meetings. While he earlier too served as Minister for AI and Online Safety, his position has now been made a cabinet-level role for the first time. Born in Muzaffarpur, Bihar, Narayan spent his early childhood there before moving to Delhi and later relocating to Cardiff, Wales, at the age of 12.

Kanishka Narayan has been appointed as Minister of State (Minister for Artificial Intelligence) jointly in the @cabinetofficeuk and the Department for Business, Innovation, Science and Trade. He will attend Cabinet. pic.twitter.com/IWxGwmSt2E

— UK Prime Minister (@10DowningStreet) July 20, 2026

In Britain, Kanishka pursued higher education at Eton College and later at the University of Oxford, the same prestigious institutions attended by India’s first Prime Minister, Jawaharlal Nehru. He then built a career across both the public and private sectors before entering Parliament in 2024. 

ALSO READ: UK Gets New PM: Labour’s Andy Burnham Takes Charge As Britain’s 59th Prime Minister After Starmer’s Exit

The Prime Minister, @andyburnham, today asked me to attend Cabinet as Minister for AI, a sign of his deep commitment to AI's importance.

AI is likely the most significant technology in human history. Its impact will dwarf other things.

The best case for it is compelling beyond…

— Kanishka Narayan MP (@KanishkaNarayan) July 20, 2026

According to his LinkedIn profile, Narayan represents the Vale of Glamorgan in the UK Parliament. He holds a Bachelor of Arts in Philosophy, Politics and Economics from the University of Oxford and an MBA from Stanford University. He had also visited India this year in February to attend the India AI Impact Summit held in New Delhi.

UK Cabinet Overhaul

Meanwhile, in a major cabinet overhaul, Burnham removed several ministers closely associated with Starmer and promoted key allies and reshuffled senior roles. Rachel Reeves and David Lammy were among those dropped from the Cabinet. Former defence secretary John Healey was appointed finance minister, while Ed Miliband took over as foreign minister. Angela Rayner returned to government, and Wes Streeting, who had previously abandoned plans to challenge Burnham for the Labour leadership, was named defence minister. Shabana Mahmood retained her role as interior minister.

ALSO READ: Who Is Andy Burnham? Labour's Greater Manchester Mayor Emerges As Frontrunner After Keir Starmer's Resignation

You May Also Like To Watch: