About the Challenge
AI by HER: The Impact Challenge for Women in AI is a global innovation challenge inviting women technologists to demonstrate AI solutions tackling large scale or novel real-world public challenges.
Focused on inclusive innovation and global impact, this initiative promotes gender equity, Global South innovation, and aims to showcase scalable AI-for-good applications at the India-AI Impact Summit to be held in New Delhi, India, in February 2026.
Last date to apply: 31st October, 2025
Download Submission Guidelines
Key Objectives
Identify Women-Led TeamsIdentify women-led teams globally working on innovative and impactful AI centric solutions addressing real-world challenges.
Build a Dedicated Support PipelineEstablish a dedicated support pipeline for women-led AI innovations, including mentorship, visibility, and post-event scale-up opportunities. Conduct two virtual bootcamps: Responsible AI and Investor Readiness & Pitching Sessions.
Create a PlatformCreate a platform for the top teams (up to 30 globally) to present at the India-AI Impact Summit.
Curate an Exclusive Investor Pitch SessionCurate an exclusive Investor Pitch Session for these (up to 30 globally) high-potential women-led AI solutions.Indicative Themes
We welcome innovative AI solutions that are scalable, broadly deployable, and capable of delivering significant public value across diverse sectors. The thematic areas outlined below are indicative, and applicants are encouraged to propose any solution that demonstrates clear societal impact.
Cybersecurity, Safety & Digital WellbeingAI for trusted digital participation, covering anomaly detection, intrusion prevention, privacy preserving identity, and NLP tools to counter misinformation or harassment, plus behavioral modeling and sentiment analysis for mental wellbeing at scale.
AgricultureAI for food security and sustainable farming, including precision agriculture, drone or satellite monitoring, yield prediction, automated pest and disease detection, blockchain based supply chains, and edge AI for resource use.
EducationAI that personalizes, democratizes, and scales learning, including adaptive algorithms, multimodal content, speech recognition in underrepresented languages, and intelligent tutors, closing gaps and supporting lifelong learning.
HealthAI that improves care through medical imaging, predictive analytics, digital biomarkers, federated learning, and AI enabled telemedicine, with a focus on accessibility, affordability, and scalable adoption across diverse systems.
Who Can Apply?
01Applicant Criteria
Applicants must be women-led teams or entities building innovative and impactful AI centric solutions addressing real-world challenges
02Women-led criteria
The company /startup/consortium is led by a woman or a woman is in a key decision-making role and leadership position (CEO, CTO, COO). Or the core applying team includes at least one woman as technical lead, product lead, or business lead.
03Team Composition
Up to three members At least two team members who could represent the shortlisted AI solution during the Summit, presentations, and evaluations must be women.
What Is In The Challenge For You
Awards up to INR 2.50 CrAwards of INR 25,00,000 to each of the top 10 winners and potential incentives such as cloud and compute credits
Summit ShowcaseTop finalists (upto 30) receive travel and accommodation support to participate in the India-AI Impact Summit in New Delhi for global visibility, investor connections and networking opportunities. A separate Investor Pitch Session will be curated for such high-potential women-led AI solutions.
Mentorship and BootcampsMentorship from industry experts on business strategy, pitch readiness etc.
Post Summit OpportunitiesRecognition of the top solutions in the AI Innovation Compendium and potential mentorship from premier institutions to enable real-world deployment and scaling
Challenge Process
Evaluation
Solution Definition
Technical Feasibility
Business Model
Team Competence
Potential Impact
FAQs
• Women-led teams - The core applying team includes at least one woman as technical lead, product lead, or business lead. They may also be students, associated with Universities, Research Institutions, and Autonomous Bodies focused on research.
• Women-led entities- Working Women Professionals- representing Start-ups, Commercial Enterprises, Public Sector Organizations or Non-Profit Entities in a key decision making role and leadership position(CEO, CTO,COO).
Yes. Teams from across the globe are welcome to apply. We strongly encourage a diverse range of solutions from all regions.
You can submit AI solutions that are pilot-ready (solutions that are ready for or have completed pilot) or already scaling (solutions with presence in the market).
Entries must show a working AI prototype or a mature solution.
You may be invited to be part of workshops for scaling AI solutions, refining GTM etc. and opportunities to participate in bootcamps for refining your pitching skills, empowering you to confidently present and showcase your innovative solutions.
All the solutions will be evaluated in a two stage process:
• Round 1: Solutions will be scored and shortlisted based on five broad parameters: Solution Definition, Technical Feasibility, Business Model, Team Competence, and Potential Impact.
• Round 2: Shortlisted innovators will be invited for presentation to a jury panel who will assess them on the outlined parameters and the presentation.
Yes, intellectual property remains with the participants.
• Award money shall be credited to the bank account of the registered entity under which the AI solution is registered. If the participating team has not yet registered themselves as a Company or Startup they can still participate. However, they will be required to be registered as a Company or Startup before the Summit to be eligible for receiving the award money.
• All award money is subject to applicable taxes and deductions under Indian laws.
Finalists will have access to:
• Global Exposure: Opportunity to present your solution to an audience of leaders and experts at the AI Impact Summit.
• Networking and Mentorship: Opportunity to connect with and receive mentorship, funding and scaling opportunities support from leading investors and ecosystem experts.
• Valuable Resources: Access to potential compute and cloud credits to further develop, deploy and scale your solutions.
• Yes. The Summit will cover travel and accommodation for up to two members per finalist team (maximum of upto 30 finalist teams in total).
• If a third team member wishes to attend, their travel and accommodation expenses must be borne by the team member itself.
Team Composition Guidelines
• Individual Applications: If applying as a single participant, the applicant must be a woman.
• Two-Member Teams: At least one member must be a woman, holding key roles as defined in the Who can Apply section.
• Three-Member Teams: At least two members must be women, and they should be able to represent the team during the Summit, including presentations, pitching sessions, and evaluation rounds.
Queries
All queries must be emailed to fellow1.gpai-india@meity.gov.in & fellow3.gpai-india@meity.gov.in using the subject line:“AI by HER: Global Impact Challenge – Query - [Applicant Name]”.
Important Notes
Applicants are advised to visit the website regularly for further updates. The team leaders of the shortlisted entries will be contacted via their registered email IDs with further instructions and communication. All shortlisted teams are required to adhere to the Rules and Regulations and Eligibility Criteria as outlined on the official call for application. They must also submit all necessary documents as requested to proceed to the next stage. Participation is subject to local and international laws and that applicants are fully responsible for compliance. All personal data collected from participants will be handled, stored, and processed in strict accordance with the Digital Personal Data Protection Act, 2023, and other applicable laws and regulations enforced in India.
IndiaAI reserves the right to amend timelines, processes, or eligibility criteria in unforeseen circumstances, in the interest of fair competition and operational feasibility.
Disclaimer & Limitation of Liability
IndiaAI, Ministry of Electronics & Information Technology (MeitY), its officers, employees, partners, and collaborating organizations assume no responsibility or liability for any loss, damage, or inconvenience caused as a result of participation in these challenges. By submitting an application or participating in the India AI Impact Summit challenges, participants agree and acknowledge that participation is at their own risk. The organizers reserve the right to modify, postpone, or cancel any part of the challenge or event, including rules, criteria, timelines, or awards, at their sole discretion, without prior notice. All participants are solely responsible for ensuring compliance with applicable local and international laws. The organizers shall not be liable for any direct, indirect, incidental, consequential, or special damages arising out of participation or inability to participate. Submission of entries does not guarantee selection, awards, or any future engagement. Any decisions made by the organizing committee are final and binding in all matters related to the challenge and its outcomes.