What People+ai does

People+ai is an India-based non-profit initiative under the EkStep Foundation that develops open frameworks, resources, and adoption pathways to support population-scale AI deployment. The organization's core intellectual asset is the Use Case Adoption Framework (UCAF), a guidance methodology that links vertical sectors — agriculture, healthcare, education, law, climate, livelihoods, justice, transportation, and government services — with horizontal enablers such as AI-ready data, safety mechanisms, multilingual and voice capabilities, and workforce adaptation. UCAF is operationalized through the Use Case Adoption Network, a co-design community spanning 25 countries, and validated against 1,000+ documented use cases.

Complementing UCAF, People+ai runs the AI Diffusion Pathways program, which packages deployment playbooks, reusable technical components, data governance models, safety guardrails, and documented failure modes into a transferable toolkit. The organization also leads the Ten Trillion Tokens Project for Indian-language data collection and hosts the India AI Impact Summit, positioned as the first major global AI summit in the Global South. Notable flagship deployments cited include Maharashtra's MahaVISTAAR (3M+ farmers), Amul's Sarlaben (3.6M farmers, 40M cattle, 2B milk transactions annually), and Ethiopia's ATI platform — with documented 67-97% reductions in deployment time when successors draw on prior pathways.

As a non-profit initiative of the EkStep Foundation, People+ai operates without commercial pricing; all frameworks, toolkits, research outputs, and publications (Safe AI Bulletin, Data Bulletin, joint publications with Anthropic, Carnegie India, and others) are distributed freely to the ecosystem. The organization is funded through the parent foundation and supported by an in-kind network of founding partners including Anthropic, Gates Foundation, UNDP, Carnegie India, ORF, Google Data Commons, IIIT-B, Qhala, and the governments of Ethiopia, Kenya, and Italy. Its go-to-market is convening-driven: co-creation spaces, adoption research, open blueprints, and narrative shaping aimed at governments, researchers, philanthropies, and technology developers working on AI for the Global South.

Name

People+ai

Legal name

People+ai

Website

https://peopleplus.ai

Company type

Private

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

People+ai is an India-based non-profit initiative of the EkStep Foundation that stewards the Use Case Adoption Framework (UCAF) and AI Diffusion Pathways to help governments, institutions, and developers move AI solutions from pilot to population-scale deployment across the Global South.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

AI Adoption Enablement and Digital Public Infrastructure

NAICS

Computer Systems Design and Related Services (54151)

SIC

Services-Management Consulting Services (8742)

akta.pro primary industry

AI Governance, Risk & Compliance (GRC) Platforms (HDAAAMAA)

akta.pro secondary industries

Responsible AI, AI Governance & Compliance Services (BPAEAHAJ), Audit, Explainability & Accountability Tooling (traceability, reporting) (HDAAAKAL), Regulatory Readiness & Audit Automation (e.g., EU AI Act, NIST AI RMF, ISO/IEC 42001) (HDAAAMAE)

Keywords

• AI adoption frameworks
• Digital public infrastructure
• Multilingual AI deployment
• AI diffusion pathways
• Population-scale AI

Headquarters

HQ city

Bangalore

HQ country

India

HQ region

Asia

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Technology or R&D, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Non-profit / Foundation Model: People+ai is an initiative of the EkStep Foundation and functions as a non-profit entity focused on catalyzing collective innovation and addressing AI adoption challenges. The organization does not generate commercial revenue from products or services.

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

People+ai stewards the Use Case Adoption Framework (UCAF) and produces AI Diffusion Pathways - deployment playbooks and reusable toolkits that help governments, researchers, developers, and philanthropies move AI solutions from pilot to population-scale adoption. It operates as a non-profit convening organization, publishing open blueprints, conducting adoption research, running Co-Creation Spaces, and producing the Safe AI Bulletin and Data Bulletin to ease friction in AI adoption across sectors such as agriculture, healthcare, education, law, and government services.

Product overview

People+ai is an initiative under the EkStep Foundation focused on easing friction in population-scale AI adoption in India. The organization does not offer a single software product but rather operates as a strategic framework and ecosystem enabler. Its core offerings center on the Use Case Adoption Framework (UCAF) — a practical guidance framework linking vertical sectors (agriculture, healthcare, education, legal, climate, livelihoods, justice, transportation, government services) with horizontal enablers (AI-ready data, safe AI mechanisms, multilingual & voice capabilities, workforce re-imagination). Related offerings include the AI Diffusion Pathways initiative providing deployment playbooks and reusable toolkits for scaling AI, the Use Case Adoption Network connecting practitioners and policymakers, and the India AI Impact Summit. Supporting publications include the Safe AI Bulletin and Data Bulletin. The organization also leads the Ten Trillion Tokens Project for Indian language AI data collection. All offerings emphasize people-centric, use-case-driven approaches where technology follows society's needs.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Use Case Adoption Framework (UCAF) A practical guidance framework that maps how AI solutions progress from pilot to scale by linking vertical sectors (agriculture, healthcare, education, legal, climate, livelihoods, justice, transportation, government services) with horizontal enablers (AI-ready data, safe AI mechanisms, multilingual & voice capabilities, workforce re-imagination) to identify bottlenecks and pathways to adoption maturity. Aimed at public institutions, researchers, developers, philanthropists, and infrastructure providers.
• Use Case Adoption Network A growing community of practitioners, policymakers, and innovators working to ensure AI delivers real-world impact safely and at scale, co-designed with partners from 25 countries. Targeted at AI ecosystem stakeholders including governments, developers, and researchers.
• AI Diffusion Pathways Packaged deployment playbooks and reusable toolkits documenting lived experiences of deploying AI at scale, including technical assets, data governance models, safety guardrails, and operational playbooks for institutional alignment. Targeted at governments, institutions, and developers seeking proven AI deployment pathways.
• Deployment Playbooks Documented lived experience of deploying AI covering institutional architecture, design choices, stakeholder alignment, failure modes, and onboarding strategies for next adopters. Targeted at organizations planning AI deployments.
• Reusable Toolkit Technical assets, data pipeline governance templates, safety guardrails, procurement strategies, evaluation benchmarks, and training materials for AI deployment reuse. Targeted at institutions and developers seeking ready-made AI deployment components.
• Co-Creation Spaces Shared discovery spaces enabling knowledge sharing across the AI ecosystem, convening intermediaries, beneficiaries, innovators, and implementers to identify impactful use cases and unlock AI's role in serving real needs. Targeted at AI ecosystem participants.
• Adoption Research Studies and publications examining challenges in large-scale AI adoption across sectors, generating insights that guide AI development and inform evidence-based policy. Targeted at researchers, policymakers, and ecosystem enablers.
• Open Blueprints Accelerator programs and actionable frameworks designed for adoption by external institutions, transforming insights into practical environments and programs for high-impact AI implementations. Targeted at external institutions seeking adoption accelerators.
• Safe AI Bulletin Research and insights publication covering AI safety, protection, accountability, steerability, transparency, and compliance for population-scale deployment. Targeted at policymakers, researchers, and AI developers.
• Data Bulletin Research and insights on data foundations, data readiness, AI readiness, data governance, and infrastructure for AI-ready India. Targeted at data practitioners, policymakers, and AI developers.
• India AI Impact Summit 2026 First major global AI summit in the Global South, bringing together governments, practitioners, researchers, and enterprises to shape responsible, scalable AI adoption. Held in New Delhi February 19-20, 2026. Targeted at the global AI ecosystem.
• Ten Trillion Tokens Project Massive data collection initiative to gather 10 trillion tokens across 22 major Indian languages, combining web scraping for formal content, on-ground cultural data collection, and use-case-specific data gathering for AI training. Targeted at developers building Indian language AI systems.

Quantifiable outcome

• 97% reduction in deployment time
• +4 more outcomes

Named customers4 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

AI capability11 records

Feature5 records

Partnerships

16 partnerships are on record, tiered core and flagship.

• EkStep FoundationcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 February 2026People+ai is an initiative of the EkStep Foundation. The foundation provides organizational backing and strategic direction for AI adoption initiatives. EkStep Foundation was co-founded by Nandan Nilekani and focuses on building digital public infrastructure for education and citizen services.
• AnthropicflagshipStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 February 2026Anthropic is a founding organization of the 100 AI Diffusion Pathways by 2030 commitment. They collaborated on 'The Guardrails of Progress: Making AI Safe for the Real India' publication exploring AI safety in the Indian context.
• UNDPcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 February 2026UNDP is a founding organization of the 100 AI Diffusion Pathways commitment. Keyzom Ngodup Massally from UNDP spoke at UNGA Week about scalable AI for Good requiring strong building blocks.
• Gates FoundationcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 February 2026The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation is a founding organization of the 100 AI Diffusion Pathways commitment, focusing on funding and supporting key system gaps like compute, evaluation, and talent for AI adoption.
• Carnegie IndiacoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 February 2026Carnegie India is a founding organization of the 100 AI Diffusion Pathways commitment. They co-published the article 'AI Adoption Journey for Population Scale' introducing the UCAF framework.
• Observer Research Foundation (ORF)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 February 2026ORF India is a founding organization of the 100 AI Diffusion Pathways commitment, contributing to shaping AI adoption frameworks and narratives in India.
• Google Data CommonscoreTechnology or Integration · 1 February 2026Google Data Commons is a founding organization of the 100 AI Diffusion Pathways commitment, contributing data infrastructure and resources for AI adoption initiatives.
• QhalacoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 February 2026Qhala is a founding organization of the 100 AI Diffusion Pathways commitment, contributing to the ecosystem of practitioners working on AI adoption.
• IIIT-B (IIIT Bangalore)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 February 2026IIIT-B is a founding organization of the 100 AI Diffusion Pathways commitment, contributing research and technical expertise to AI adoption frameworks.
• Government of EthiopiaflagshipStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 February 2026The Government of Ethiopia is a founding organization of the 100 AI Diffusion Pathways commitment. Ethiopia's ATI built a comparable deployment to Maharashtra's MahaVISTAAR in one-third the time by drawing on shared pathways.
• Government of KenyaflagshipStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 February 2026The Government of Kenya, represented by Philip Thigo (Special Envoy on Technology, Office of the President), is a founding organization of the 100 AI Diffusion Pathways commitment. Kenya is part of the AI Adoption Network with India.
• Government of ItalycoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 February 2026The Government of Italy, through its AI Hub for Sustainable Development under the Italy-Africa Mattei Plan, is a founding organization of the 100 AI Diffusion Pathways commitment.
• AI Hub (Italy)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 February 2026The AI Hub's work under the Italy-Africa Mattei Plan focuses on right-sized AI adoption across sectors such as energy, water, agriculture, health, and education, aligned with local energy capacity and talent.
• IIITH (IIIT Hyderabad)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerIIITH collaborated with People+ai and EkStep Foundation on 'Can We Steer AI to Reflect Our Culture?' exploring cultural alignment in AI development.
• IndiaAI MissionflagshipStrategic or Co-development PartnerIndiaAI Mission, led by Abhishek Singh (Additional Secretary, MeitY; CEO), collaborates with People+ai on expanding access to foundational AI infrastructure including affordable compute at scale and multilingual AI through Bhashini.
• BhashinicoreTechnology or IntegrationIndia's national language platform enabling multilingual AI adoption across India. Platforms like Bhashini enable voice-based access to digital services in local languages, supporting the AI adoption ecosystem.

Scale indicators9 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• Mila (Quebec AI Institute): A large AI research institute advancing responsible AI through research and community programs — comparable as an established non-profit AI ecosystem enabler, though more research-oriented than adoption-oriented.
• Mozilla Foundation: A major philanthropic foundation funding open, trustworthy AI (Mozilla.ai, Mozilla Foundation grants) — comparable as a larger incumbent funder of AI-for-good and open AI initiatives.
• Centre for the Fourth Industrial Revolution (WEF): A WEF-hosted platform convening governments and industry on AI/emerging tech governance — comparable as a larger, broader incumbent in AI policy convening and adoption frameworks.

Direct peers

• The Future Society: An independent non-profit focused on AI governance and policy frameworks, particularly through the Global AI Governance Initiative — directly comparable as a non-profit AI governance convener.
• AI Now Institute: A research institute producing policy research on AI governance, accountability, and social impact — comparable as a research-and-policy non-profit in the AI ethics and governance space.
• Partnership on AI: A non-profit coalition of academic, civil society, and industry organizations focused on responsible AI governance and adoption — closely comparable in mission and convening model to People+ai.
• GovAI: An AI governance research organization producing frameworks and policy guidance on frontier AI risks and adoption — comparable as a research-driven AI governance body.
• Data & Society: A research institute studying the social implications of data-centric and AI technologies — comparable as a research-focused non-profit operating in the AI governance and adoption space.
• Digital Public Goods Alliance: A multi-stakeholder initiative stewarding an open registry of digital public goods — directly comparable to People+ai's mission of building shared, open DPI-style rails (including for AI) at population scale.

Emerging players

• Bhashini / IndiaAI Mission: India's national language AI platform and broader IndiaAI Mission — overlapping mission in multilingual AI infrastructure, AI adoption research, and safe-AI tooling, and a direct technology integration partner of People+ai.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xtwitter.com/peopleplusai
• YouTubeyoutube.com/@peopleplusai
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/people-ai
• Instagraminstagram.com/peopleplusai

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about People+ai