Al is already changing how organizations make decisions, serve citizens and customers, manage risk, build products, and compete. In spite of it being common knowledge that Al will reward the prepared, many teams remain stuck in pilots, unsure how to separate real value from noise. Written for leaders, professionals, and policymakers who need to understand this technology beyond buzzwords and hype, Grounded gives readers a practical foundation in the language, logic, and trade-offs of modern Al. It explains machine learning, generative AI, neural networks, grounding, retrieval augmented generation, Al agents, responsible Al, policy, risk, and implementation in clear, accessible language. The goal is to help decision-makers ask sharper questions: What problem are we solving? Is the data ready? What risks are we accepting? How will we measure success? What should remain human-led?

This practical guide helps students, professionals, planners, administrators, and policymakers to understand and manage disaster risk in a changing world. The book explains how disasters occur when hazards meet vulnerable communities, weak systems, unsafe development, and poor preparedness. It covers major risks such as earthquakes, floods, cyclones, droughts, heatwaves, pandemics and industrial accidents, with special focus on India’s multi-hazard context.