Women-Led AI Startups Take Centre Stage at India AI Impact Summit 2026; 150 Startup Acceleration Programme Announced
The day concluded with the announcement of the Top 10 winners of the AI By HER Global Impact Challenge: Able Credit, Aso AI, Power Lifeline, Veryfi Technologies, Project Drives, Prosigo Language, Videos HR, That Creating, Water Ultra AR and Zico AR.
New Delhi: Women-led innovation emerged as a defining force at the India AI Impact Summit 2026, with the AI By HER Global Impact Challenge spotlighting inclusive, impact-first AI solutions and honouring ten women-led startups for advancing responsible technology across sectors.
The day-long programme brought together founders, researchers, policymakers and ecosystem leaders for thematic panels, rapid startup spotlight pitches and policy conversations, collectively demonstrating how empathy-driven innovation is shaping India’s AI trajectory.
From School-Level Innovation to Deep-Tech Infrastructure
The opening session, “Her First Algorithm: India’s Next Breakthrough,” explored how lived experience and curiosity spark early innovation. Moderated by Deepali Upadhyay of the Atal Innovation Mission, the session featured young innovators from schools in Andhra Pradesh, Greater Faridabad and Delhi, who presented AI solutions addressing artisan livelihoods, grain storage inefficiencies and chronic health conditions.
A second panel, “From Lab to Lives: Turning Innovation into Impact,” examined how research-driven ideas can transition into deployable solutions across healthcare, agriculture and fintech. Moderated by Meghna Bal of Esya Centre, the discussion underscored the importance of trust, responsible data use and leveraging India’s digital public infrastructure to move from pilots to scale.
In “Rewriting the Startup Playbook: Not Despite. Because of HER.,” women founders shared insights on disciplined execution, long-term resilience and navigating complex industries. The panel highlighted how strong networks and clarity of purpose are helping women-led ventures scale sustainably.
Another session, “Building Things to Transform: Breaking the Mould,” focused on infrastructure-level AI solutions, emphasising ecosystem collaboration and translating deep technology into viable, scalable business models.
Startup Spotlight: AI for Healthcare, Climate, Security and Education
Interspersed throughout the day were 10-minute spotlight pitches by women-led ventures working across diverse domains:
Cognitii showcased an AI platform expanding access to special-needs education.
Cellverse Pvt Ltd presented AI-validated 3D bioprinted disease models for animal-free testing.
BettrLab demonstrated an AI-powered product development platform.
Secure Blink (NariRaksha.AI) highlighted application and API security solutions.
Cratic AI introduced a multilingual AI co-worker for factory operations.
Baeru proposed real-time marine plastic recovery using AI-driven waste intelligence.
Arghyam outlined AI-enabled water governance models.
Trupreneurs.ai presented a K-12 entrepreneurship learning platform.
Sychedelic unveiled AI-enabled immersive audio headphones.
AquaAirX demonstrated autonomous AI systems integrating hardware and software.
RoshniAI introduced a voice-first AI learning companion in local languages.
ClipreAI proposed climate and weather risk management as digital public infrastructure.
WEP Announces 150-Startup Capacity Building Programme
The concluding session, “From Access to Acceleration: How WEP Supports Women Founders,” featured Anna Roy, Mission Director of the Women Entrepreneurship Platform at NITI Aayog. She outlined WEP’s role in building an enabling ecosystem that supports women entrepreneurs from aspiration to scale.
“Our vision at WEP is empowerment – Shakti – where we enable behaviour change, provide access to the right knowledge at the right time, and support women entrepreneurs from aspiration through to scaling their enterprises,” she said.
Roy also announced a dedicated capacity-building programme for 150 shortlisted women-led AI startups, offering structured mentorship and networking support in collaboration with ecosystem partners.
Top 10 Winners Honoured
The day concluded with the announcement of the Top 10 winners of the AI By HER Global Impact Challenge: Able Credit, Aso AI, Power Lifeline, Veryfi Technologies, Project Drives, Prosigo Language, Videos HR, That Creating, Water Ultra AR and Zico AR.
The challenge underscored how women-led AI innovation – rooted in empathy, public good and scalable design – is shaping a responsible AI ecosystem aligned with India’s broader digital public infrastructure vision.
