Deadline: 31-Oct-2025
The AI by HER Global Impact Challenge, set to culminate at the India-AI Impact Summit in February 2026 in New Delhi, invites women technologists worldwide to showcase artificial intelligence solutions addressing real-world challenges across critical sectors, offering funding, mentorship, and global exposure to accelerate inclusive innovation.
The focus areas of the challenge include Agriculture, Cybersecurity, Safety and Digital Wellbeing, Education, Healthcare, Energy and Climate, and a Wild Card or Open Innovation category. The challenge aims to identify high-quality, women-led solutions; accelerate deployable AI addressing public-interest gaps, especially in LMIC contexts and underserved communities; spotlight women innovators; inspire adoption and scale through mentorship; and convene a global ecosystem connecting startups, governments, funders, and community organizations to unlock partnerships and long-term support.
The AI by HER Challenge, anchored under the India-AI Impact Summit’s principles of People, Planet, and Progress, seeks to highlight inclusive, responsible, and sustainable AI innovation. It rewards the top ten teams with INR 25 lakh each and offers them global visibility through showcases at the AI Impact Summit attended by policymakers, investors, and industry leaders. The competition follows a two-stage process consisting of an initial application and a presentation round, culminating in a showcase at the Summit where up to 30 finalists will present their solutions. Participants benefit from structured mentorship, pitch training, and potential access to cloud credits or workspace facilities.
Eligibility is open to women-led teams or individual women innovators worldwide. Applicants may include startups, MSMEs, non-profits, public or autonomous bodies, and academic or research institutions. Solutions must be pilot-ready or beyond, under categories “Just Code It” for pilot or prototype stage and “Just Solve It” for deployment or scaling stage. Intellectual property remains with the applicants, and all entries must comply with responsible AI practices, data protection, and non-discrimination norms.
Evaluation criteria emphasize clarity of problem definition, technological feasibility, innovation, scalability, and measurable impact, particularly in underserved or Global South contexts. Shortlisted participants will present to an international jury of AI experts, with winning teams announced during the Summit. The initiative embodies the broader vision of translating global AI aspirations into tangible results by empowering women innovators to lead solutions that drive equitable socio-economic transformation across sectors.
For more information, visit IndiaAI.
