Sarvm AI and Ridlan AI Foundation win big at Mint’s Tech4Good Awards for using tech to empower marginalised communities | Mint

India, with all its diversity, faces significant challenges when it comes to achieving social equity and inclusion. Despite constitutional guarantees, there is a lot of disparity between the haves and have nots, for marginalised communities and even women across domains of education, employment and property ownership, to name a few. AI can play a crucial role in promoting social equity in the country.

The meeting of technology and social inclusion was celebrated at the Mint All About AI | Tech4Good Awards 2024, sponsored by Salesforce, where out-of-the-box innovations were given awards under the ‘Best Use of AI for Social Equity and Inclusion’ category. While Sarvm AI got the Gold award for their language solution for small businesses, Ridlan AI Foundation was awarded the Silver prize for leveraging AI to improve access to essential services like healthcare, education, and employment for underserved communities. Watch the webcast of the awards event below,

Using AI to bring about more equity and inclusion

Artificial Intelligence (AI) has the potential to create a more just and equitable India and celebrate the nation in all its diversity. AI-powered tools can facilitate access to education, healthcare, and financial services for underserved communities, empowering them to participate fully in society. For instance, AI-powered technologies, such as voice assistants and automated transcription, can make information more accessible for people with disabilities. Similarly, data driven insights can be used to drive policy decisions and efficient allocation of resources.

The ‘Best Use of AI for Social Equity and Inclusion’ category recognises the use of such tools to make a difference in society at large, just like Sarvm AI did by using technology to help small businesses communicate with a wider ambit of customers or Ridlan AI Foundation did by building a wearable QR pendant for easy identification if missing persons.

Winner of the Gold category: Sarvm AI

In a country like India, bridging the gap between language diversity and accessibility to technology can be challenging. With various languages spoken across the country, barriers of language can become a significant challenge as businesses try to communicate with customers in their native languages.

Sarvm AI leverages GenAI to unlock new market opportunities, establish direct and deeper connections with their customers. Their AI solution empowers nano businesses like fruit sellers, often operating with limited resources, by providing them with accessible, AI-driven tools and platforms to improve efficiency and profitability. Each of the business are given access to a micro ERP where they can bill, sell online, do inventory, and run promotions, all on the same platform. The product has already seen 71 per cent satisfaction amongst users.

“Sarvm AI’s solutions are built specifically for India’s multilingual ecosystem. Our APIs can handle complex, code-mixed Indic languages and are modular, enabling scalable deployment across various sectors, from customer service to education. By lowering language barriers, we are pioneering a truly inclusive AI ecosystem that empowers businesses to innovate and reach millions of non-English-speaking users across Bharat,” said Pratham Waghmare of Sarvm AI.

Winner of the Silver category: Ridlan AI Foundation

Ridlan AI Foundation focuses on improving access to essential services like healthcare, education, and employment for underserved communities, emphasising inclusion and equity using the power of AI.

The foundation has launched wearable AI-enabled QR pendants, which are useful for those suffering from dementia, Alzheimer’s, and for specially-abled children. In just one year, over 10,000 pendants were distributed for free. The foundation is also building an image processing portal for tracking missing people and developing a text-to-speech platform for visually impaired individuals. Additionally, Ridlan AI is launching an AI-powered mental health chatbot to support those facing emotional distress. The foundation has collaborated with the Indian Army, Navy, and other welfare organisations to offer scale to its solutions and amplify their impact, ensuring broader reach and support.

“Ridlan AI Foundation turned to AI as a solution because of its ability to deliver scalable, real-time, and personalised support for vulnerable populations. AI can quickly process vast amounts of data, enabling faster responses in emergencies, like locating missing individuals. For elderly and specially-abled children, AI offers accessibility tools like text-to-speech and image processing, breaking barriers that traditional methods can’t overcome. By leveraging AI, Ridlan AI is committed to building innovative, tech-driven solutions that cater to the unique needs of Bharat’s diverse population,” said Akshay Ridlan, Founder and Chief Executive Officer (CEO), Ridlan AI Foundation.

About the Salesforce All About AI | Tech4Good2024 Awards

TheMint All About AI | Tech4Good Awards 2024, sponsored by Salesforce,has set a benchmark for recognising how AI can be harnessed as a force for good, from combating climate change to democratising access to education and healthcare. This initiative aligns with the growing need for responsible and ethical AI solutions prioritising societal well-being.

The awards showcased the transformative power of artificial intelligence in addressing some of society’s most pressing challenges. With over 100 competitive entriesvying for recognition, the event highlighted the breadth of innovative AI applications across various sectors.

The awards night was attended by a prestigious gathering of 160 industry leaders, technologists, and changemakers at the Jio World Centre in Mumbai. Additionally, the event’s impact extended globally, with 12000 participants joining via livestream, demonstrating the widespread interest in AI-driven solutions for societal good.

This incredible turnout underscores the relevance of AI in driving sustainable progress and the eagerness of audiences worldwide to celebrate and learn from these groundbreaking efforts.