As India is expected to become a global leader in AI, elevating its women in this field will not only have local significance but also drive global change. Kirthiga Reddy, formerly the inaugural employee and Managing Director of Facebook India (now Meta) and subsequently the first female investing partner at the AI-centric SoftBank’s Vision Fund, is certain about her plans for her new platform AI Kiran.

Kirthiga, presently the CEO and co-founder of Verix, a worldwide trust-tech platform, is the mind behind AI Kiran, which seeks to elevate Indian women in AI to a global platform, fostering connectivity, financial support, and mentorship. AI Kiran is set to launch on April 21, coinciding with the UN day for creativity and innovation.

Timing is essential, as although women surpass men in STEM courses in India, it is estimated that they make up only 33 percent of GenAI roles at the junior level, which decreases to 19 percent at the senior level.

“It is towards building a cross-functional AI community. The initiative is hosted on the Manthan Platform, enabling access for a wide and diverse audience of professionals, students, and researchers across India. All recognition under AI Kiran are digitally verified using blockchain-powered credentialing, ensuring authenticity, transparency, and global shareability. This initiative combines a vibrant membership community with access to mentorship, curated learning programs, branding support, and high-impact events – creating valuable opportunities for growth, visibility, and leadership. It is also about connecting women across geographies,” says Kirthiga.

India’s AI market is poised to reach $17 billion by 2027, to ensure that women are a leading force in shaping and operating transformative technologies, a collaborative approach is required between the government, private sector and civil society organizations.

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This is why AI Kiran is being launched in collaboration with the office of the principal scientific adviser to the government of India and INK Women.