Artificial Intelligence (AI) is transforming lives and driving inclusive development across the globe. This was the core message at the National Conference on AI for Empowering Persons with Disabilities, held today in Bengaluru, Karnataka. The event brought together leading experts, government officials, technologists, and advocates to showcase how AI is enhancing accessibility and opportunities for persons with disabilities.

Delivering the Special Address, Mr. Rajesh Aggarwal, Secretary, Department for Empowerment of Persons with Disabilities (DEPwD), Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment, Government of India, said, “A new era of inclusion has been ushered in by Artificial Intelligence.” His keynote presentation covered advancements in Deep Learning, Robotics, and Computer Vision, emphasizing their potential in improving the quality of life for people with disabilities.

During the conference, Mr. Aggarwal also launched four major initiatives focused on AI and accessibility:
    1.    Mission AI Accessibility
    2.    Mission AI: Implementation of AI in Assistive Technologies and Tools for Empowering People with Disabilities
    3.    National Disability Support AI Chatbot
    4.    United Benefits Interface (UBI)

These missions aim to harness AI for the creation of inclusive digital ecosystems, offering scalable solutions in assistive technology.
The conference was jointly organized by the Department for Empowerment of Persons with Disabilities (DEPwD), Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment, in collaboration with the Artificial Limbs Manufacturing Corporation of India (ALIMCO) — a Mini Ratna Central Public Sector Enterprise working under the ministry.

Mr. Praveen Kumar, Chairman and Managing Director of ALIMCO, was present at the event and reiterated the organization’s commitment to innovation in assistive technology and inclusive design. This landmark conference showcased how Artificial Intelligence can be a force multiplier in creating a more inclusive and accessible India. The cross-sector collaboration demonstrated today paves the way for technology-driven empowerment for millions of persons with disabilities.

The event featured thought leaders and pioneers from academia, industry, and government, including:

    •    Prof. Venu Govindaraju, Distinguished Professor, Department of Computer Science, University at Buffalo, USA (via video conference)
    •    Prof. P.V.M. Rao and Prof. Rohan Paul, Professors, IIT Delhi
    •    Dr. Buddha Chandrashekhar, CEO, Anuvadhini
    •    Ms. Pragya Misra, Partnerships Lead, OpenAI – India
    •    Mr. Aalekh Sharan, Head, Enterprise AI & Strategy, Sarvam AI
    •    Mr. Manu Chopra, CEO, Karya Inc.
    •    Mr. Sandeep Alur, CTO, Microsoft Innovation Hub, India
    •    Ms. Chandrika Jain, Director of Marketing, Lenovo
    •    Mr. Shekhar Naik, Padma Shri Awardee and Inclusion Advocate, IIM Bangalore
    •    Mr. Arshad Sayyad, Co-Founder and Chief Business Officer, StackGen
    •    Dr. Ananthalakshmi Venkitaraman, CEO, EquiBeing Foundation
    •    Mr. Prateek Madhav, Co-Founder and CEO, AssisTech Foundation (ATF)
    •    Prof. Amit Prakash, Professor and Head, Department of Human-Centered Computing, IIIT Bengaluru
    •    Ms. Amrita Kamat, Representative, Google India
    •    Dr. Ekroop Caur, Secretary, Department of Electronics, IT, BT, and S&T, Government of Karnataka
   •    Mr. Abhishek Singh, Additional Secretary, Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY) and Director General, National Informatics Centre (NIC), New Delhi.

 

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GM

(Release ID: 2132730)