As someone deeply immersed in India's budding AI landscape, I have witnessed firsthand how artificial intelligence is transforming the way we address longstanding societal challenges. From my vantage point as the founder of Readabled[1], an AI-driven platform that aims to provide language learning and phonetic awareness exercises designed to support individuals with learning disabilities2. I have seen that AI isn't just about technological advancement; it's about fostering inclusion and equity. With India hosting the AI Impact Summit in February 2026, it's an important moment to consider how local AI innovations can enhance accessibility in education.
Education, in particular, stands to benefit immensely from this AI-driven shift. With millions of children facing specific learning disabilities like dyslexia[2], traditional systems often fall short due to uneven access to specialized support across regions. This is where AI[3] can step in as a complementary force, offering scalable, personalized tools that empower learners. At Hermit Labs Pvt. Ltd., we've channeled this potential into Readabled1, a web-based platform dedicated to online language learning and phoneme awareness.
Readabled leverages AI to help users, primarily children and young adults, build phonetic awareness through interactive, adaptive exercises to strengthen early language and reading foundations. The platform breaks down words into phonemes, provides real-time pronunciation feedback, and supports multiple Indian languages to make it culturally relevant.
The platform focuses on helping children develop foundational language skills, whether at home or in school. It also serves educators, tutors, and clinicians who need structured phoneme-awareness practice in Indian languages.
Designed specifically for Indian language learners, the solution employs a phonetics-first learning methodology that ensures cultural relevance across diverse linguistic contexts. The system features adaptive learning paths with step-by-step sequencing, allowing learners to progress through modules at their own pace while receiving real-time, AI-powered pronunciation analysis and instant feedback. Additionally, the inclusion of a Document Analyzer and a Chrome Browser Extension4 help learners interact more effectively with documents and any text-based materials online. By completing brief interactive tasks centered on listening and sound discrimination before advancing to sound-letter mapping and decoding drills, users systematically build comprehensive reading skills.
What started as a passion project to address a personal observation of educational inequities has evolved into a tool recognized under the IndiaAI Mission's assistive technologies theme. By focusing on early intervention, Readabled aims to prevent the long-term impacts of untreated dyslexia, such as reduced academic performance and self-esteem issues.
Our development of Readabled has been bolstered by government support through the IndiaAI Mission, where it was selected as one of the 30 applications[4] funded under the Application Development Initiative for public interest problems. This funding helped us develop, scale and refine the platform for greater impact.
At the India AI Impact Summit, these conversations are gaining even greater urgency. It's an opportunity to showcase how homegrown solutions, like those emerging from the mission, can deliver measurable outcomes for society. In pursuing Viksit Bharat, a developed India by 2047, AI must be harnessed to uplift every citizen. From my experience building Readabled, I believe that when AI is rooted in local needs and guided by responsibility, it becomes a powerful equalizer. The summit will undoubtedly inspire more such innovations, paving the way for an inclusive AI future.
Hermit Labs Private Limited5 is a healthcare technology startup based in India, dedicated to developing AI-powered assistive tools for people with disabilities. Founded by Ashirbad Samantaray and supported by IIT Delhi, the company focuses on creating accessible, culturally relevant solutions that bridge critical gaps in educational support across India's diverse regions.
By Ashirbad Samantaray, Founder, Readabled, Hermit Labs Pvt. Ltd.
[1] https://www.readabled.com/
[2] https://indiaai.gov.in/article/leveraging-ai-for-early-detection-of-learning-disabilities-in-indian-students
[3] https://sansad.in/getFile/annex/268/AU2301_H5FXNZ.pdf?source=pqars
4 https://chromewebstore.google.com/detail/peogpficbljpkkhjochnjeiinflkeobe?utm_source=item-share-cb
[4] https://www.pib.gov.in/PressReleasePage.aspx?PRID=2150204®=3&lang=2
5https://hermitlabs.in
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February 20, 2026
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