I-Stem's AI platform converts STEM documents, exams and textbooks into screen-reader-accessible formats at 92% accuracy. Used by IIT Delhi, Ashoka University and Telangana's K-12 system, reaching 31,000+ users, ~9,000 of them women.
I-Stem, founded in 2018 in New Delhi by blind engineers Kartik Sawhney and Shakul Sonker, built an AI and computer-vision platform that converts inaccessible STEM documents, exams, and textbooks — including tables, mathematical notation, and diagrams — into screen-reader-compatible formats for blind and low-vision users in India.
Objectives
The platform aims to close the accessibility gap in STEM education materials, extending reach beyond urban centres and supporting exams and textbooks in multiple languages.
Activities
A mobile app launched in 2021 extended reach into semi-urban and rural areas, and a 2024 grant added voice-interface access via WhatsApp and IVR; the platform has been deployed at IIT Delhi, Ashoka University, and across Telangana's state K-12 system for English and Telugu textbooks.
Results
I-Stem reports serving 31,000+ users, including roughly 9,000 women, with a 92% accuracy rate for document conversion; these are self-reported adoption and technical-accuracy figures, as no independent third-party study of learning outcomes has been published.
Implementation
Indicative cost
Medium (€50k–€500k) — Funded via GSMA grants (2021, 2024) and a 2025 Meta/Nudge Institute grant; no public unit-cost figures published.
Time to results
Long (> 3 years)
Staffing & skills
I-Stem (founders Kartik Sawhney, Shakul Sonker)
Conditions for success
Mobile app to reach semi-urban/rural users
Voice-interface (WhatsApp/IVR) access for low-literacy or low-connectivity users
Partnerships with universities and state education systems for institutional deployment
Where it fits
Governance type
NGO/social enterprise
Scale
national (India)
Income level
lower-middle-income
Do you run this practice?
Claim it —
verified implementers get a public contact pathway and can propose corrections.
Data sources
Where this practice's information was retrieved from, and when.
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