PNN
New Delhi [India], February 21: Zeko AI, an enterprise-focused AI talent intelligence platform, has been recognised among the global winners of the AI by HER - Global Impact Challenge at the India AI Impact Summit 2026, emerging from a competitive field across 50+ countries.
The recognition came at a summit of unprecedented global scale- with over 15,500 registrations, 4,600+ formal applications, participation from 70+ countries (with 136 nations represented overall), and 900+ startups exhibiting, culminating in 28 awards across categories.
The awards, including grants of ₹25 lakhs each, were presented by Ashwini Vaishnaw, Union Minister of Electronics & Information Technology, Information & Broadcasting and Railways, Government of India, during a ceremony that spotlighted high-impact, women-led AI ventures building scalable solutions across sectors.
Zeko AI was first shortlisted among the Top 30 global innovators before being named one of the final award recipients, marking a significant milestone in India's expanding AI ecosystem.
Policy Backing and Ecosystem Momentum
The India AI Impact Summit 2026 was positioned as more than a technology conference- it was framed as a national platform for shaping the future of AI governance and inclusive innovation.
Centered around the themes of democratizing access to AI, expanding participation across youth and women, and positioning India as a leading global voice in artificial intelligence, the summit aligned closely with the country's long-term vision of Viksit Bharat 2047.
Minister Vaishnaw, while presenting the awards, underscored AI as a horizontal, general-purpose technology capable of transforming sectors at scale, emphasising that India must lead in building systems that are accessible, inclusive, and globally competitive.
The AI by HER Global Impact Challenge, under which Zeko AI was recognised, specifically celebrated women-led ventures contributing to this inclusive vision.
The Award Ceremony also featured keynote addresses from global leaders including Roshni Nadar Malhotra, Chairperson of HCL Technologies, who highlighted the need for human-centered AI and greater representation of women in STEM leadership.
In addition to its recognition at the Summit, Zeko AI was also selected, in 2025, among the Top 20 startups from 10,000+ applications by the UAE-India CEPA Council Start-up Series, an initiative aimed at strengthening cross-border innovation and economic collaboration between India and the UAE, further reflecting growing international interest in scalable AI-led enterprise solutions.
Founder Perspective: A Shift Toward Intelligence-Led Enterprises
At 27, Tanvi Jain, Co-Founder of Zeko AI, represents a new generation of women leaders building enterprise-grade AI systems from India.
"AI in enterprises is no longer about automating recruitment," Tanvi Jain said. "Large enterprises are rethinking how decisions are made. The future lies in structured intelligence, where data supports fairness, alignment, and long-term workforce strategy. Recognition under the AI by HER category reinforces that women-led deep-tech ventures can build at scale and compete globally."
Her co-founder, Samyak Jain (28), an IIT Delhi alumnus, added that the broader ambition goes beyond hiring.
"Enterprises today struggle with decision misalignment- between HR, business units, and leadership, especially in people-heavy service sectors like ITes, BFSI, GCCs and logistics" Samyak Jain said. "Our vision is to embed organization intelligence into workflows so that decision-making becomes measurable, aligned, and data-driven. In the last year alone, we've facilitated over 1.5 million minutes of AI-led discussions and AI interviews, growing at more than 100% quarter-on-quarter. That level of adoption signals that enterprises are ready to move from manual processes to structured intelligence systems."
The recognition at the India AI Impact Summit 2026 reflects not just startup success, but a broader inflection point- where AI-powered hiring, talent intelligence, and enterprise decision systems are becoming foundational to how large organisations operate and compete, in alignment with India's larger ambition to lead the global AI movement.
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