OpenAI expands AI for Impact Accelerator Program in India with 11 non-profits

OpenAI has announced the next phase for their global AI for Impact Accelerator Program to India under which they will provide a fresh round of API credits to 11 select nonprofit organisations. The program was a part of the AI firm’s OpenAI Academy umbrella and brings the total value of their technical grants to $150,000. 

The initiative is a collaboration between OpenAI and philanthropic bodies including The Agency Fund, Tech4Dev and Turn.io, and offers hands-on technical support, cohort-based learning and early access to OpenAI tools. 

The chosen organisations include Udhyam Learning Foundation for education, agricultural nonprofit, Precision Development, Noora Health that works on patient recovery and Rocket Learning which helps educate marginalised communities.

The program aligns with the goals of the IndiaAI Mission that intends to democratise AI access, foster an AI ecosystem and enable AI solutions for India.

“With the support of OpenAI Academy, we built Myna Bolo, a hyper-local, culturally sensitive chatbot offering 24/7 reproductive health guidance to women in underserved communities. Leveraging OpenAI’s advanced language models and our grassroots network, we’ve reached hundreds of women with personalized, stigma-free support in local languages, helping them ask the questions they otherwise wouldn’t voice. This is a pivotal step in building a trusted, AI-powered health infrastructure for and by the women we serve,” said Suhani Jalota, Founder Myna Manila Foundation.

Pragya Misra, Policy & Partnerships Lead, OpenAI India, said, “India has shown how AI can drive inclusive innovation at scale. These organizations are solving some of the country’s most complex challenges with ingenuity and empathy. The AI for Impact Accelerator - now part of OpenAI Academy - is our way of learning from them, while ensuring frontier technology is being shaped by and in service of real communities. This work reflects the spirit of the India AI Mission and reaffirms OpenAI’s commitment to meaningful impact.” 

OpenAI said that they will include more organisations in the next phase of the program.

The OpenAI Academy was announced last year by the Sam Altman-led firm to help low and middle-income countries solve societal issues with AI.