FITT IIT Delhi and Microsoft Launch ‘Unnati AI Accelerator’ to Empower Tier II and III India

Microsoft, in collaboration with FITT at IIT Delhi, has launched the Unnati AI Accelerator aiming to harness the power of artificial intelligence to drive meaningful social impact across Tier-II and Tier-III towns in India.

FITT IIT Delhi and Microsoft Launch ‘Unnati AI Accelerator’

Microsoft, in partnership with the Foundation for Innovation and Technology Transfer (FITT) at IIT Delhi, has launched the Unnati AI Accelerator, a CSR initiative aimed at catalysing AI-led social impact in India’s Tier-II and Tier-III towns. Targeting key sectors such as healthcare, agriculture, education, and sustainability, the program is designed to empower innovators through funding, mentorship, state-of-the-art infrastructure, and market access. By enabling sustainable AI solutions at the grassroots level, the initiative seeks to foster inclusive economic growth and bridge the digital divide across emerging regions.

Unnati AI Accelerator

The Unnati AI Accelerator envisions a future where India’s smaller towns play a pivotal role in shaping the global AI landscape. Applications are now open at unnatiai.fitt-iitd.in for startups, students, and developers from across the country to join this transformative mission. Innovators working in healthcare, agriculture, education, and sustainability are encouraged to apply and benefit from a structured accelerator program featuring bootcamps, expert mentorship, and demo days. The initiative also welcomes mentors, industry leaders, and corporate partners to collaborate in building an inclusive, AI-driven future for India.

Aparna Gupta, Global Delivery Center Leader Microsoft India, remarked, "Microsoft India invests in and empowers startups through various sectors nationwide. The launch of Unnati AI with FITT IIT Delhi reflects our commitment to responsible and inclusive AI. This initiative, aligned with the IndiaAI Mission, aims to empower innovators in Tier-II and Tier-III towns to address critical issues in healthcare, education, agriculture, and sustainability."

Prof. Rangan Banerjee, Director of IIT Delhi, stated, “IIT Delhi is keen to enable ideas and innovations to help transform society and solve problems of hunger, climate change and healthcare. We are excited about our new Unnati AI Accelerator and hope that we will catalyse the power of AI for good and enable new breakthroughs and startups with national and global impact.”

Abhishek Singh, Additional Secretary, Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology, Government of India, shared, "Initiatives like Unnati AI play a critical role in realizing this vision by identifying and nurturing grassroots innovators and startups, particularly from Tier-II and Tier-III cities. I strongly encourage emerging entrepreneurs to actively engage with this platform, apply AI to solve domain-specific challenges, and contribute meaningfully to India's digital transformation journey.”

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