Action For India

Action For India Check out our competition page at http://www.changemakers.com/community/afi or visit us at http://actionforindia.org/

AFI Forum
Our annual event, the AFI Forum, will bring together India icons, successful social and technology entrepreneurs, technology companies, donors, investors and representatives of government agencies, with the goal of helping AFI Fellows scale their organizations. AFI Fellows will be exposed to:
Ideas, information and inspiration provided by icons such as Sam Pitroda as well as successful s

ocial entrepreneurs
Financial, governmental, human and intellectual capital resources
AFI Mentors who can provide busss process advice and make long term commitments to help them scaleine
AFI Partners that can offer technology products and services
The AFI Forum will be organized in New Delhi in January, 2012, in collaboration with Pan IIT and the Deshpande Foundation. Customized technology advisory and services support

This program will help AFI Fellows assess their technology needs, identify technology solutions and get assistance in implementing the technology to scale their impact. Under the program, AFI Fellows will:

Be paired with AFI Mentors who will assess their technology and business processes and propose solutions
Get access to AFI Partners who offer standard off-the-shelf products, customised services and/or advice at subsidized rates or free of cost
Work with AFI Mentors to train and support their staff in implementing the technology solution

Shared technology infrastructure support

AFI Mentors will work with Fellows to identify common technology needs. Through partnerships with technology companies, AFI will provide affordable, SaaS/cloud-hosted solutions that benefit clusters of AFI Fellows facing similar issues. AFI Mentors will train and support AFI Fellows and their staff to adopt and integrate the technology into the organization’s systems and processes.

AI funding in 2026 is not what it used to be.The rules are changing and founders need to evolve faster than ever.We rece...
13/04/2026

AI funding in 2026 is not what it used to be.

The rules are changing and founders need to evolve faster than ever.

We recently hosted an exclusive Knowledge Building Session (KBS) for startups in our AI+ Impact Cohort, led by Sailesh Ramakrishnan, Managing Partner, Rocketship.vc

From shifting investor expectations to what truly makes an AI startup fundable today, the session was packed with sharp, practical insights for founders navigating this new landscape.

A few key reflections:

* The focus is moving from hype to real-world impact and strong use cases

* Investors are prioritizing sustainable business models over quick growth

* Clarity on problem-solution fit in AI is becoming non-negotiable

Big thank you to Sailesh Ramakrishnan for sharing such valuable perspectives and engaging deeply with our founders.

Sessions like these are what make the AI+ Impact Cohort more than just a program, it’s a space to learn, adapt, and build what truly matters.



Building, refining, and unlocking new possibilities through collaboration.As part of the AFI AI+Impact Cohort, empowerin...
06/04/2026

Building, refining, and unlocking new possibilities through collaboration.

As part of the AFI AI+Impact Cohort, empowering startups leveraging AI for real-world impact- X Boson AI recently participated in a focused huddle session with founder Pradeep kumar. P, guided by primary mentor Anbumani Subramanian, along with mentors Hemendra Mathur, Emmanuel Murray, and Apoorv Sharma.

The session brought together diverse expertise across agriculture, AI, and business strategy, creating a space for meaningful dialogue and constructive feedback.

With XBoson AI’s work through KrishiSat, the discussion centered around strengthening the business approach, exploring partnerships, and building scalable solutions for long-term impact in the agriculture ecosystem.

Grateful to all the mentors for their valuable insights and continued support in helping founders move forward with greater clarity and confidence.





🚨 AI Funding in 2026 isn’t what it used to be.The hype is evolving. Investor expectations are shifting. And founders nee...
03/04/2026

🚨 AI Funding in 2026 isn’t what it used to be.

The hype is evolving. Investor expectations are shifting. And founders need to adapt fast.

Join us for a Knowledge Building Session (KBS) under the AI + Impact Cohort by Action For India, where we decode what’s really happening in the AI funding landscape.

🎯 What you’ll learn:

* Where AI investments are actually going today

* What investors expect at Pre-seed, Seed & Series A

* How GenAI hype is influencing funding decisions

🎙️ Speaker: Sailesh Ramakrishnan

Managing Partner, Rocketship.vc

📅 Saturday, 11 April 2026

⏰ 8 PM IST

If you’re building in AI, this session will help you better understand how investors are thinking today.

🔗 RSVP here: https://forms.gle/Dbi49KqiqPCEyi189



💡 AFI AI + Impact Cohort Mentorship A focused one-on-one interaction between Dr. Shikha Gupta Founder of EyeSetu, and me...
31/03/2026

💡 AFI AI + Impact Cohort Mentorship

A focused one-on-one interaction between Dr. Shikha Gupta Founder of EyeSetu, and mentor Veera Manikandan Raju.

The discussion centered on strengthening the venture’s positioning in AI-enabled healthcare delivery, refining its unique value proposition, and building a scalable growth roadmap. Strategic inputs were shared on ecosystem partnerships, target segments, and creating long-term differentiation in the market.

Thank you to Veera Manikandan Raju for his time, candid feedback, and valuable mentorship. Looking forward to continued conversations as the journey progresses.





Learning, refining, and building stronger with every conversation.As part of the AFI AI+Impact Cohort, designed to suppo...
30/03/2026

Learning, refining, and building stronger with every conversation.

As part of the AFI AI+Impact Cohort, designed to support high-potential startups leveraging AI for real-world impact dBee recently participated in a focused huddle session with founder Rajat Mala, guided by primary mentor Bhanu Prasad M N, along with mentors Prakash Gupta, Jiten Vani, and Sumit Dutta.

The session brought together diverse perspectives across AI, business, and scaling, creating a space for thoughtful discussions and constructive feedback.

With dBee’s work in voice AI and multilingual solutions, the conversation centered around strengthening the overall approach, exploring opportunities, and building for long-term impact.

Grateful to all the mentors for their time, insights, and continued support in enabling founders to move forward with greater clarity and confidence.



From AI Tools to AI Agents, the next product paradigm is unfoldingToday at Action For India (AFI), we hosted an insightf...
27/03/2026

From AI Tools to AI Agents, the next product paradigm is unfolding

Today at Action For India (AFI), we hosted an insightful Knowledge Building Session with Vishwesh Pai, where founders explored how AI is evolving from tools to autonomous, goal-driven agents.

💡 Key takeaways from the session:

* The evolution from SaaS → Copilots → Agents marks a shift from software we operate to software that can act independently

* Product thinking is moving beyond features to goal-driven systems that focus on outcomes

* Building agentic systems requires strong emphasis on trust, transparency, and user control

* AI agents can handle a large part of workflows, but human oversight remains essential for edge cases and judgment

* Not every problem needs an agent—especially in high-risk or highly regulated scenarios

The session sparked meaningful discussions around real-world adoption, data readiness for startups, and how founders can start integrating agentic thinking into their products.

Grateful to Vishwesh for an engaging and highly practical session for our founder community.



25/03/2026

What truly defines a great cohort experience?

It’s not just the startups, it’s the mentors who shape their journey.

We’re grateful to have had Mr. Hemendra Mathur as one of the mentors for the AFI Agri Cohort 2.0 at Action For India.

With decades of experience across agribusiness and investing, Hemendra Sir brought an invaluable perspective to founders navigating their 0 to 1 journey. His guidance combined strategic depth with a genuine commitment to supporting entrepreneurs, often extending well beyond the cohort through continued engagement and relationships.

What stood out most was his belief that mentorship is a two-way street, where even mentors learn and grow through founder interactions.

“Many of these interactions will become lifetime relationships.”

This is exactly what we strive to build at AFI, not just cohorts, but ecosystems of trust, learning, and long-term collaboration.

A sincere thank you to Hemendra Sir for his time, commitment, and belief in our founders.

We’re excited to see these startups scale, raise capital, and most importantly, create meaningful impact in India’s agricultural ecosystem.

🚀 The next wave of AI is here, and it’s agentic.Join Action For India’s Knowledge Building Session to decode how AI is e...
23/03/2026

🚀 The next wave of AI is here, and it’s agentic.

Join Action For India’s Knowledge Building Session to decode how AI is evolving from tools to autonomous agents, and what this shift means for product builders, founders, and innovators.

🧠 Topic: From AI Tools to AI Agents: The Next Product Paradigm
📅 Date: 27th March 2026
⏰ Time: 10:30 – 11:30 AM
🎙️ Speaker: Vishwesh Pai

🔍 What you’ll learn:

• Evolution: SaaS → AI Copilots → AI Agents
• How product thinking changes in agentic systems
• Designing user trust & control
• When not to use AI agents

👉 RSVP here: https://forms.gle/URaXPCVpvYdxyMT47

A must-attend session to stay ahead in the AI + Impact ecosystem.



Building the future of rural healthcare, one insight at a time.As part of the AFI AI+Impact Cohort, Caare continues to p...
17/03/2026

Building the future of rural healthcare, one insight at a time.

As part of the AFI AI+Impact Cohort, Caare continues to push boundaries in solving for accessible healthcare. In a recent huddle session, founder Chandramouli Samatham engaged in an in-depth discussion with primary mentor Prakash Gupta, along with mentors Arun Shankar K, Varun Trivedi, Abhishek Gupta , Himanshu Singh, Satvik Babu, CFA and Nitin Yogi.

From decoding AI-powered telemedicine for rural India to navigating regulatory pathways, data challenges, and commercialization strategies, the session brought together diverse expertise across healthcare, AI, and venture building.

Key conversations included:

* Scaling AI solutions with real-world reliability

* Cracking medical device compliance & CDSCO approvals

* Strengthening accuracy for clinical trust

* Building India-specific datasets for better outcomes

* Identifying GTM opportunities across BFSI, public health & wellness

What stood out? A strong focus on solving for access, affordability, and accuracy in healthcare.

Grateful to Prakash Gupta and all mentors for their invaluable guidance in shaping Caare’s journey.



16/03/2026

When innovation addresses post-harvest challenges, it unlocks value for the entire agri ecosystem. 🌾

In his testimonial from Action For India AgriCohort 2.0, Vittal, Founder of Agriviatls Innovation, shares his journey of building a solar dryer solution to tackle post-harvest processing challenges and reduce losses for farmers.

Through the cohort, Vittal highlights how he was able to refine his solution and gain clarity on scaling the business.

With mentorship from Prateek Shabani and Rituraj Sharma 🌱, he received valuable guidance on identifying the right customer segments and strengthening his overall approach.

He also shared how AFI enabled connections with FPOs, investors, and ecosystem partners, which further supported early-stage growth and access to funding opportunities.

We extend our sincere thanks to the mentors and the wider ecosystem that supported him throughout his journey at AFI.

As he shared, AFI provided clear direction on what to prioritise, how to navigate challenges, and how to scale effectively, making it a strong platform for early-stage startups looking to learn, grow, and gain exposure.

We remain committed to supporting founders who are building practical, scalable solutions to strengthen India’s agricultural value chain.

Building a strong entrepreneurial ecosystem is essential for India’s economic growth and job creation.At the AFI Agri Co...
14/03/2026

Building a strong entrepreneurial ecosystem is essential for India’s economic growth and job creation.

At the AFI Agri Cohort 2.0 Valedictory Session, Mr Anand Deshpande, Founder & Chairman of Persistent Systems, delivered an insightful keynote on the importance of supporting entrepreneurs and scaling small businesses in India.

He highlighted the challenge of creating 18–20 million jobs annually, emphasizing that empowering entrepreneurs will be key to addressing this need. Drawing from his entrepreneurial journey, he shared practical insights on building sustainable businesses, defining a clear vision for growth, and creating strong leadership cultures within organizations.

Mr Anand Deshpande also emphasized the importance of becoming market leaders rather than competing only on cost, and how AI can significantly enhance productivity, enabling entrepreneurs to focus on solving larger problems and creating meaningful impact.

We sincerely thank Mr Anand Deshpande for sharing his wisdom and inspiring the cohort with his insights.

A heartfelt thank you to our mentors and ecosystem partners for their continued guidance and support throughout the program.

And congratulations to the 16 startups of the AFI Agri Cohort 2.0, your commitment to building innovative solutions for farmers and rural communities is truly inspiring. We look forward to seeing your ideas scale and create lasting impact across India.



Transforming India’s agricultural ecosystem requires bold innovation, strong partnerships, and entrepreneurs who are com...
13/03/2026

Transforming India’s agricultural ecosystem requires bold innovation, strong partnerships, and entrepreneurs who are committed to solving real challenges faced by farmers.

At the AFI Agri Cohort 2.0 Valedictory Session, Shri Krishna Lavu delivered an inspiring keynote, congratulating the 16 social entrepreneurs of the cohort for their work in building solutions for India’s farming communities.

Shri Lavu highlighted the importance of scaling agricultural innovations, building strong ecosystem partnerships, and starting collaborations at the district level to drive real change. He also encouraged startups to leverage hackathons, pilot programs, and local government engagement to build strong use cases for their solutions.

We sincerely thank Shri Krishna Lavu for his insightful address and continued encouragement to social entrepreneurs.

A heartfelt thank you to our mentors and ecosystem partners for guiding and supporting the cohort throughout this journey.

And most importantly, congratulations to the 16 incredible startups of the AFI Agri Cohort 2.0. Your commitment to solving critical challenges for farmers is truly inspiring, and we look forward to seeing your innovations scale and create lasting impact across India.

Address

S-6, Second Floor, DDA Shopping Complex, Mayur Vihar Phase-I Near Jeevan Anmol Hospital
Delhi
110091

Opening Hours

Monday 9am - 5pm
Tuesday 9am - 5pm
Wednesday 9am - 5pm
Thursday 9am - 5pm
Friday 9am - 5pm
Saturday 9am - 5pm

Telephone

91-90006-78108

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