OpenAI expands AI for Impact programme in India with fresh grants

ChatGPT maker OpenAIhas announced the next phase of its global AI for Impact Accelerator Programme in India, extending technical grants worth $150,000 to 11 nonprofits working on AI solutions across sectors such as healthcare, education, and agriculture.

Launched globally and now running under the OpenAI Academy, the program supports nonprofits using AI for social good.

The program is run in partnership with The Agency Fund, Tech4Dev, and Turn.io, and provides nonprofits with technical support, peer learning, and early access to OpenAI’s tools. 

The Sam Altman-led firm has also held a workshop on its latest model capabilities to help organisations build AI solutions that can support large populations.

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In the past year, the India cohort has built and deployed AI tools across healthcare, education, agriculture, disability inclusion, and gender equity, focusing on underserved communities.

Among the 11 non-profits are Rocket Learning, Noora Health, Udhyam, Precision Development, Digital Green, Youth Impact, Educate Girls, i-Stem, Pinky Promise, Myna Mahila Foundation, and IDinsight.

While the program aligns closely with the goals of the IndiaAI Mission, several of these organisations have started implementing OpenAI’s technology, said the company. 

“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,” said Pragya Misra, Policy and Partnerships Lead, OpenAI India. 

In May, the AI firm introduced data residency support in India, along with other countries such as Japan, Singapore, and South Korea, for ChatGPT Enterprise, ChatGPT Edu, and its API platform.  

The initiative aims to assist organisations in the above-mentioned countries to meet local data sovereignty and compliance requirements when using the firm’s products and building new AI solutions.

“OpenAI’s support allowed us to reimagine how we train and support family caregivers at scale. AI has already helped our clinical team provide better, faster guidance to hundreds of thousands of caregivers across South Asia. But this is just the beginning—we're building toward a future where every family has access to reliable health support when they need it most,” said Anubhav Arora, Executive Director, Platforms and Technology, Noora Health.