Mitesh Khapra, Associate Professor at IIT Madras, has been recognized in TIME magazine’s 2025 list of the 100 most influential people in artificial intelligence. His inclusion places him alongside global AI leaders such as Elon Musk and Sam Altman, highlighting his significant contributions to AI research and development.

Khapra’s work primarily focuses on natural language processing (NLP) and machine learning, with a particular emphasis on making AI accessible to India’s diverse linguistic landscape. He co-founded AI4Bharat, an initiative dedicated to developing open-source tools and datasets that enable AI systems to understand and process all 22 of India’s official languages. This endeavor addresses the limitations of English-centric AI models by creating resources that cater to underrepresented languages, thereby promoting digital inclusion and bridging language barriers.

Under Khapra’s leadership, AI4Bharat conducted an extensive project that involved researchers visiting nearly 500 of India’s 700 districts. They recorded thousands of hours of voice data from individuals across various educational and socioeconomic backgrounds, capturing the linguistic diversity of the nation. These efforts have resulted in datasets that are now utilized by startups, government programs, and legal institutions, facilitating the development of AI applications that serve a broader population.

Khapra’s academic journey began at IIT Bombay, where he completed both his M.Tech and Ph.D. Prior to his tenure at IIT Madras, he worked at IBM Research India, contributing to advancements in machine translation and deep learning. His recognition by TIME underscores the impact of his work in reshaping AI research and applications to be more inclusive and representative of India’s linguistic diversity.

This acknowledgment not only celebrates Khapra’s individual achievements but also highlights the growing importance of inclusive AI research in addressing the needs of diverse populations.