“With India projected to be a global AI powerhouse, empowering its women in this space isn’t just local impact — it’s global transformation.” As the first employee and Managing Director of Facebook India (now Meta) and the first female investor at SoftBank’s $130 billion AI-focused Vision Fund, Kirthiga Reddy is certain of her goals for her new platform, AI Kiran.
Reddy, who is currently the CEO and co-founder of Verix, a worldwide trust-tech platform, is the driving force behind AI Kiran, an initiative that seeks to connect, finance, and mentor Indian women in AI. In honor of UN Creativity and Innovation Day, AI Kiran will debut on April 21. The time is critical since, according to estimates, women only make up 33% of GenAI employment at the junior level in India, and just 19% at the senior level, even though they outnumber males in STEM programs.
“It is towards building a cross-functional AI community. The initiative is hosted on the Manthan Platform, enabling access for a wide and diverse audience of professionals, students, and researchers across India,” Reddy explained. She said all recognitions under AI Kiran are digitally verified using blockchain-powered credentialing, ensuring authenticity, transparency, and global shareability. “This initiative combines a vibrant membership community with access to mentorship, curated learning programmes, branding support, and high-impact events – creating valuable opportunities for growth, visibility, and leadership. It is also about connecting women across geographies.”
According to Reddy, the AI industry in India is expected to grow to $17 billion by 2027. She also stated that “a collaborative approach is required between the government, private sector, and civil society organizations” to guarantee that women will be a major force in developing and using revolutionary technologies. For this reason, she explained, AI Kiran is being launched in partnership with INK Women and the office of the main scientific adviser to the Indian government.
The initiative’s inaugural release highlights 250 notable women in AI from important fields including education, healthcare, sustainability, and corporate technology, who contribute multidisciplinary viewpoints essential to ethical and significant AI.“This launch will set the stage for a multi-year process of recognising, growing and nurturing women leaders in AI,” she added. “Over the next year, in conjunction with our partners, we aim to reach a million women in AI across our programmes.”
AI Kiran has established solid collaborations with Nasscom, 100 GIGA, AspireForHer, Udaiti Foundation, Youth Ki Awaaz, and Karya in addition to government backing.“We are also designed for global connectivity from the start in partnership with organisations like AnitaB.org, SheTO and Neythri. With these partners, we are creating avenues for ongoing learning and collaboration, mentorship programmes, funding pathways, and building a global network of women leaders.”
Additionally, the launch initiates a fundraising campaign through the non-profit INK Women Foundation.“Our initial target of $3M supports the ambitious AI Kiran initiative with the resources for large-scale summits, academic and industry partnerships, scholarships, and sharing stories of women in AI in India on a global stage.”
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