Wadhwani AI Global announced its expansion across Africa, Latin America, and other developing regions on September 18, positioning artificial intelligence as a catalyst for transforming public healthcare, education systems, and agricultural productivity in underserved communities.
The organization, led by newly appointed Chief Executive Officer Nakul Jain, who brings 14 years of experience in AI product development, will partner directly with governments, multilateral organizations, and local institutions to embed AI solutions into existing infrastructure rather than creating standalone pilot programs.
This strategic approach draws from proven successes in India, where the Wadhwani family’s $25 million investment has generated 25 AI platforms reaching more than 150 million people. Their oral reading fluency assessment tool has evaluated over 6 million children through 11 million assessments across Gujarat and Rajasthan schools, providing automated insights that help teachers improve early childhood literacy rates.
In healthcare, the organization’s tuberculosis screening cascade uses cough sound analysis and patient history to help healthcare workers identify presumptive pulmonary TB cases. The technology addresses a critical gap in diagnosing tuberculosis, which remains the world’s leading cause of death from a single infectious agent.
The clinical decision support system demonstrates the scalability potential, empowering 160,000 health workers to conduct over 250,000 daily consultations. This addresses the acute shortage of trained medical personnel in rural areas across developing nations.
Co-founders Romesh and Sunil Wadhwani emphasized their commitment to sustainable implementation rather than temporary interventions. The brothers, who are Indian-American tech entrepreneurs, established their foundation with operations spanning India and more than 20 countries.
“AI has demonstrated its transformative power in many parts of the world, so our challenge now is ensuring those benefits reach communities where they can change lives most profoundly,” the co-founders stated in their announcement.
Jain previously served as Vice President of Products at Wadhwani AI and has worked across healthcare digital transformation, consulting, and technology innovation sectors. His appointment signals the organization’s focus on practical implementation over theoretical development.
The expansion addresses persistent barriers in AI adoption across low-resource settings, including roadmap alignment challenges, technology adaptation requirements, and sustainable implementation obstacles. Wadhwani AI Global will operate through three core capabilities: advisory services for national AI strategies, context-specific technology development, and capacity building for local institutions.
Co-founder Shalina Wadhwani highlighted the organization’s departure from typical development approaches. “We’re not here to create one-time pilots that fade away. We work with partners to embed AI into real systems and infrastructure people rely on, delivering solutions that endure and grow over time.”
The leadership team includes Harsh Singh as Head of Growth, Gitika Sharan as Head of Marketing, and Aakash Pant as Lead Engineer. Wadhwani AI India operations will continue independently as an autonomous division of the Lord’s Education and Health Society (LEHS).
The initiative represents a strategic shift toward positioning the Global South as central to AI for social good conversations, moving beyond traditional aid models toward systematic integration of advanced technology into critical public services.
The organization targets improvements in healthcare access, educational outcomes, agricultural productivity, and food security systems across regions where such interventions could yield the highest social and economic returns. The focus on government partnerships aims to ensure solutions become embedded in policy frameworks rather than remaining dependent on external funding.
This approach could influence how international development organizations approach technology integration, moving from project-based interventions toward systematic capacity building that enables sustained local innovation and implementation.
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