AI Dialogue & Innovation Challenge
AI for Social Impact
An AI Dialogue and Innovation Challenge by I-Stem at the International Purple Fest 2026.
Why This Matters
AI tools are spreading fast. Few nonprofits can say they work.
Public AI benchmarks mostly measure knowledge and reasoning in English. They say little about how a tool will work for a woman asking about a pension scheme in Bhili on a feature phone, or for a blind student using a screen reader.
India has an estimated 20 crore or more persons with disabilities. A helpline bot that does not work with a screen reader, a video without captions or a form that assumes literacy shuts many of them out. Mainstream AI models are seldom tested with persons with disabilities, and their answers on disability can be inaccurate or ableist.
The rules are changing too
The India AI Governance Guidelines put people-first design, fairness and accountability at their core. The Digital Personal Data Protection Rules, 2025 bring most obligations into force by May 2027, including how consent is obtained through a lawful guardian. Nonprofits using AI with beneficiary data will need to be ready.
Part One
The AI Dialogue
A roundtable open to nonprofits of every size, from grassroots groups to national organisations. They will be joined by CSR teams, funders, researchers, technologists and government. Persons with disabilities will take part as speakers and participants throughout.
1
Where are nonprofits already seeing measurable gains from AI, and what shows that the people served are better off?
2
What should a small organisation with no technical staff check before putting an AI tool in front of beneficiaries?
3
How should consent, data protection and accountability work for vulnerable users, and who answers when a tool gets it wrong?
4
How can an organisation test whether a tool works for persons with disabilities, speakers of Indian languages and people with low literacy?
5
What should funders, CSR partners, government and technology providers change so that responsible AI is within reach of small nonprofits?
Part Two
AI for Social Impact Innovation Challenge
The challenge is looking for AI solutions that are already improving lives in India. Your solution must be in use or in pilot with real users.
Who can apply
Nonprofits, social enterprises, startups, academic teams and independent developers.
Any field
Education and skilling, health and nutrition, livelihoods and financial inclusion, agriculture and climate resilience, gender and child protection, governance, justice and public services, caregiving and community support, and more.
What we look for
—
Evidence that the solution helps the people using it
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Accessibility for persons with disabilities, and fit with Indian languages and literacy levels
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Responsible handling of consent, data and errors, including passing a case to a person when the tool cannot help
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Cost and sustainability for the organisations that run it
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Potential for other nonprofits or government to adopt it
What finalists get
The chance to present to nonprofits, funders, CSR partners and government at the International Purple Fest, and a written accessibility review from persons with disabilities in I-Stem’s network, with specific recommendations.
How to apply
Fill in the short Expression of Interest form. It has 10 questions and takes about 10 minutes.
Deadline: 16th November 2026, 11:59 pm IST
The Outcome
What Will Come Out of It
A practical guide
For nonprofits on testing an AI tool before launch, measuring whether it helps beneficiaries and meeting data protection obligations.
Shared test questions
A shared set of test questions and tasks from real Indian service delivery that any nonprofit can use to check a tool before adopting it.
Policy recommendations
Recommendations for funders, CSR partners and technology providers, shared with MeitY and the Department of Empowerment of Persons with Disabilities.
Join the AI Dialogue
Would you like to join the AI Dialogue, share a case or partner with us? Register your interest or write to akshay@inclusivestem.org
About I-Stem
Building accessible AI for every life stage
I-Stem is India’s leading not-for-profit organization that builds AI-based accessible technology for persons with disabilities across life stages. Its NClude platform works on the web, WhatsApp and IVR, offering an accessible library, an adaptive voice-based tutor, career discovery, job recommendations, and guidance on benefits and assistive technology. Its technology is integrated with DEPwD’s Sugamya Bharat app.
125,000+
Users reached
70+
Nonprofit partners
2.3M+
Pages made accessible