Infosys Springboard Joins HopeWorks’ WitchHunt To Support Women-led AI Innovation
Share
HopeWorks Foundation today announced that Infosys-springboard has joined WitchHunt – Women in Technology Challenge as a Knowledge Accelerator, strengthening the initiative’s mission to enable women-led social innovation leveraging artificial intelligence. Launched in partnership with AI4India, WitchHunt is a landmark national initiative aimed at mobilising women across India to lead the country’s next wave of inclusive, AI-powered social innovation.
In an era where artificial intelligence is reshaping industries and societies, WitchHunt stands out as a call to action for inclusivity and innovation. The nationwide hackathon will bring together 5,000 women across 1,000 teams primarily women aged 18 and above to co-create AI-driven solutions for sustainable futures. Girls from HopeWorks Foundation, who often lack access to higher education and advanced technical exposure, will be actively integrated into the programme. For every team of five participants, four members will come from diverse backgrounds along with one girl from HopeWorks. Each team will have at least two women members, ensuring not just participation, but meaningful peer learning and exposure.
Set to launch in January 2026 with a grand finale in May 2026, WitchHunt supported by Infosys-springboard alongside partners AI4India and Skills Café will see participation from women students and professionals across India, including those from marginalized communities and first-generation learners. The initiative seeks to ensure that the voices shaping India’s AI-driven social innovation ecosystem are diverse, inclusive, and equitable.
“In a world transformed by technology, women must not just participate, they must lead,” said Chitra Gurjar, Chairperson, WitchHunt. “This is a moonshot idea at a mammoth scale. Involving girls from the most unreached segments of our population is our way of creating equitable and equal spaces in technology.”
The initiative builds on HopeWorks Foundation’s long-standing commitment to the empowerment and education of the girl child. Since its inception in March 2020, the Foundation has positively impacted over 50,000 young girls from marginalized backgrounds by fostering digital literacy, leadership, and career readiness. WitchHunt also aligns with its recently launched #MissionAI, a national effort to expand AI literacy and awareness.
Behind the movement is a dynamic team led by Co-chairs Varsha Verma and Neeraja Ganesh, supported by volunteers from diverse organizations working together to make WitchHunt a nationwide phenomenon.
Adding her perspective, Jacintha Jayachandran, Founder, HopeWorks Foundation, said, “WitchHunt is not just about coding or AI solutions; it’s about rewriting the narrative of who gets to innovate in India. When women are equipped with the tools of tomorrow, they don’t just build technology; they build futures. This initiative is our declaration that women will not just be consumers of AI; they will be its creators.”
Through WitchHunt, HopeWorks Foundation envisions catalyzing a national movement of women technologists addressing real-world challenges using AI to build a more inclusive, equitable, and sustainable future for India.
