Wadhwani AI

The Wadhwani Institute for Artificial Intelligence is an independent, non-profit research institute based in India, dedicated to developing AI-based solutions for social good. Founded in 2018 with a $30 million philanthropic gift from Romesh and Sunil Wadhwani, the institute focuses on underserved communities in developing countries. Its mission is to bridge the gap between AI research and real-world deployment in sectors like agriculture, healthcare, and education. Key projects include CottonAce, an AI tool that identifies pests in cotton farming to help smallholder farmers reduce crop losses, and AI-powered diagnostic tools for detecting tuberculosis and managing maternal and newborn health. Wadhwani AI works closely with government agencies and international organizations like the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation and Google.org to ensure its innovations are integrated into public systems. By focusing on "low-resource" settings—where data may be sparse and infrastructure limited—the institute pioneers AI models that are robust, accessible, and ethically designed to improve the lives of millions of people who are often overlooked by commercial technology.