Sunil Wadhwani, alongside his brother Romesh Wadhwani, was featured in the Time100 AI list in 2023. A prominent entrepreneur in the US, he co-founded and led iGate Corporation before shifting his focus to artificial intelligence. However, unlike many AI ventures centered on commercial gains, Wadhwani AI, an India-based nonprofit, was established to develop and implement AI solutions for societal advancement. Speaking at the Indiaspora Forum for Good in Abu Dhabi, Wadhwani highlighted how AI investments are largely focused on commercial use, but he and his brother saw an opportunity to leverage AI for the benefit of underserved communities.
Founded in 2018 with an initial $30 million investment, Wadhwani AI is dedicated to creating AI-driven solutions across healthcare, education, and agriculture. With a team of over 300 professionals working across Delhi, Mumbai, and Bengaluru, the organization collaborates closely with Indian ministries and state governments to deploy its innovations effectively.
In healthcare, Wadhwani AI has introduced advanced AI-based tuberculosis detection programs to identify high-risk patients early and improve treatment outcomes. Additionally, the nonprofit has developed tools to predict high-risk pregnancies and combat child malnutrition by identifying cases of stunting in infants. It has also collaborated with the government to implement disease surveillance systems, allowing authorities to detect outbreaks before they spread.
The organization’s education initiatives include an AI-powered tool to assess fifth-grade students’ reading fluency, with future plans to create personalized learning programs for struggling students. In agriculture, AI-driven models help farmers manage crops more effectively and minimize pest-related losses. While the organization primarily operates in India, there is growing interest from other regions, including Africa, Asia, and Latin America, in adopting its solutions.
Wadhwani acknowledges that while his organization was among the first to focus on AI for social good, the sector remains vastly underfunded compared to the billions invested in commercial AI. However, he remains optimistic about India’s potential to become a global leader in AI-driven social impact.
A successful entrepreneur and philanthropist, Wadhwani has also contributed significantly to education, including a $13 million endowment to IIT Madras for the Wadhwani School of Data Science and AI. He observes a rising trend of Indian American entrepreneurs channeling their expertise into social impact ventures, emphasizing the importance of collaboration in scaling such initiatives. For Wadhwani, real success lies in using technology to create meaningful change, and he sees AI as a powerful tool to drive social progress.
