Who Are Kanishka Narayan And Lisa Nandy? Two Indian-Origin MPs In Andy Burnham's New UK Cabinet
Who Are Kanishka Narayan And Lisa Nandy? Two Indian-Origin MPs In Andy Burnham's New UK Cabinet Published By, Last Updated: July 21, 2026, 12:25 IST
Who Are Kanishka Narayan And Lisa Nandy? Two Indian-Origin MPs In Andy Burnham's New UK Cabinet Published By, Last Updated: July 21, 2026, 12:25 IST Andy Burnham appointed Kanishka Narayan as Minister for Artificial Intelligence and retained Lisa Nandy as Culture Secretary. British PM Andy Burnham announced his Cabinet, which includes Bihar-born Kanishka Narayan as AI minister (left), and Lisa Nandy, born to an Indian father, as Culture Secretary. Andy Burnham’s UK Cabinet: Andy Burnham on Monday officially assumed office as the UK’s New Prime Minister, succeeding Keir Starmer and immediately signalled a change in direction with a major Cabinet reshuffle and a pledge to introduce a 10-year plan aimed at easing the cost-of-living crisis. Burnham has made significant changes to the Cabinet, including John Healey as Chancellor, Ed Miliband as Foreign Secretary, and Wes Streeting as Defence Secretary. He has also included two Indian-origin MPs in his newly reshuffled Cabinet, appointing Kanishka Narayan as Minister for Artificial Intelligence and retaining Lisa Nandy as Culture Secretary. From Bihar to Britain’s AI Minister: Who Is Kanishka Narayan? Indian-origin Kanishka Narayan has been appointed Minister of State for Artificial Intelligence, serving jointly in the Cabinet Office and the Department for Business, Innovation, Science and Trade. He will also attend Cabinet meetings. Narayan was born in Bihar’s Muzaffarpur and moved to Cardiff in the UK at the age of 12.
He studied Philosophy, Politics and Economics at the University of Oxford before earning an MBA from Stanford University. Before entering politics, he worked in the technology and finance sectors, supporting AI, fintech and climate-focused businesses and advising governments and companies through investment bank Lazard. In 2020, he founded a national campaign following the announcement of the Covid-19 lockdown, titled ‘Help Your High Street’, which matched local independent shops with customers to facilitate ongoing delivery, mail order and gift card purchases. Between 2021 and 2023, he also served as a trustee of a Citizens Advice bureau. Simultaneously, he served on the advisory panel of Chatham House, the UK’s foremost foreign policy think tank, for two years. Elected as the Labour MP for the Vale of Glamorgan in 2024, Narayan became Wales’ first ethnic minority MP. He also worked as Parliamentary Private Secretary for the Department of Environment, Food and Rural Affairs between July 2024 and September 2025. He was appointed Minister for AI and Online Safety in 2025 under Starmer and has now been elevated to a Cabinet-level role, reflecting the Burnham government’s increased focus on artificial intelligence. Narayan has advocated for the responsible adoption of AI, saying the technology is critical to the UK’s economy, national security and global competitiveness, while also calling for safeguards to ensure workers benefit from the transition.
The BriefWire