Centre launches IndiaAI innovation challenge to foster impactful deep tech solutions

NEW DELHI — The IndiaAI Independent Business Division (IBD) — an independent business division of Digital India Corporation under the Ministry of Electronics and IT (MeitY) — on Friday announced the IndiaAI Innovation Challenge.

Indian innovators, startups, non-profits, students, academic or research and development organisations, and companies can partake in the innovation challenge.

“The challenge is aimed at promoting the scaling and adoption of impactful AI solutions to enable large-scale socio-economic transformation,” MeitY said.

“Winners will receive up to INR 1 Crore and an opportunity to deploy their solutions at a national scale,” it added.

Healthcare, improved governance, agriculture, assistive technology for learning disabilities, and climate change and disaster management are the focus areas of the challenge.

In healthcare, the challenge seeks innovation in enhancing diagnostics and patient care, early disease detection using AI-enhanced X-rays, strengthening ophthalmology outcomes, and vector-borne disease surveillance.

Participants can also leverage AI-driven language technologies to devise better public service accessibility and grievance redressal.

In the field of agriculture, farmers can be empowered with services such as AI-assisted crop advisory, financial inclusion, and utilisation of geospatial analytics to improve food security.

The challenge also seeks assistive technology for learning disabilities, which can enable early detection and support for specific learning disabilities, with enhanced multimedia accessibility tools and gamified learning.

Participants can develop innovation for climate change and disaster management with AI-driven early warning systems and multi-hazard susceptibility mapping.

The challenge is also part of the Applications Development Initiative within the IndiaAI Mission, which seeks to advance the development, deployment, and adoption of AI applications in critical sectors.

The deadline for application submission is September 30.

IndiaAI is the implementation agency of the IndiaAI Mission, which aims to democratise AI’s benefits across all strata of society, bolster the country’s global leadership in AI, foster technological self-reliance, and ensure ethical and responsible use of AI.