Mysuru: A first-of-its-kind community-led Artificial Intelligence (AI) learning and innovation hub, JanAI Cafe, was inaugurated on Wednesday at a Millets Cafe run by women from the Jenu Kuruba tribal community in H D Kote taluk of Mysuru district. The initiative aims to make AI accessible, practical and useful for citizens by creating a grassroots platform where rural communities can learn, experiment with and benefit from artificial intelligence.
The JanAI Cafe, claimed to be India’s—and possibly the world’s—first community-led AI learning hub, has been established at Handpost, around 49 km from Mysuru on the Mysuru–H D Kote Road.
NITI Aayog member inaugurates the initiative
The JanAI Cafe was inaugurated by Dr R. Balasubramaniam, Full-Time Member of the National Institution for Transforming India (NITI Aayog).
The initiative has been set up by the Head Held High (HHH) Foundation at the Millets Cafe supported by the Swami Vivekananda Youth Movement (SVYM), in association with the Karnataka Digital Economy Mission (KDEM).
The project seeks to bridge the digital divide by enabling rural communities to understand and use AI in their daily lives while improving access to information, services and livelihood opportunities.
Making AI useful for everyday life
Explaining the concept, Madan Padaki of the HHH Foundation said the JanAI Cafe is designed to “serve a steaming hot cup of AI” by helping people learn, build and use artificial intelligence in practical ways.
He described the centre as more than just a physical space, calling it a community hub that brings together multiple grassroots AI initiatives under one roof.
According to Padaki, the goal is to ensure that AI is not limited to technology professionals but becomes a tool that ordinary citizens can use to solve local challenges and improve their quality of life.
Multiple AI initiatives under one roof
The JanAI Cafe integrates several AI-driven programmes aimed at supporting rural development and digital inclusion.
Among them is WhiteDots, developed in collaboration with the EkStep Foundation, which studies household demand and supply patterns. The initiative is analysing data from more than 1,000 households in H D Kote to better understand the needs and priorities of local communities.
Another component is the YouGRAF Index, which seeks to map the aspirations of rural youth and identify opportunities for education, employment and entrepreneurship.
The initiative also includes JanAI Ambassadors, supported by Kyndryl India, who will help local residents learn about AI applications and build confidence in using digital technologies.
AI to improve access to services and livelihoods
The JanAI Cafe will feature AI-powered solutions that enable citizens to identify relevant government welfare schemes and access public services more efficiently.
Other components include the Blue Dots Economy, which helps users discover local livelihood opportunities, and JanAI ADOPT (v1), an AI platform that aims to deploy trusted AI agents for every citizen.
The project also introduces the JanAI Impact Index (JAI Index), developed in partnership with Wipro and KDEM, to measure AI adoption, assess community outcomes and evaluate the long-term social impact of the initiative.
Supported by leading organisations
Padaki said the initiative has received support from the Gates Foundation, The/Nudge Institute, and LEAD at Krea University.
The project aligns with the vision of Viksit Bharat by enabling villages to harness AI for solving local problems, improving livelihoods and creating new opportunities for growth.
By combining technology with community participation, the JanAI Cafe aims to demonstrate how artificial intelligence can be used responsibly and inclusively to empower rural citizens rather than remain confined to urban technology ecosystems.