Heritage Institute of Technology, Kolkata, has announced that alumnus Souvik Ghosh from the Department of Applied Electronics & Instrumentation Engineering has won the $100,000 Unlock Her Future Prize 2025, awarded by The Bicester Collection, for his startup Cognitii.

Cognitii, co-founded with Jhilika Trisal from Gurugram and Falguni Shrivastava from Raipur—both alumni of Shoolini University—was selected from more than 2,900 applications across over 40 countries. The startup is one of six international winners recognised for developing an AI-based platform to support public special education systems. The platform includes early screening tools, learning systems, educator co-pilots and policy dashboards designed to strengthen disability identification and inclusion mechanisms in India.

Ghosh previously worked on AI applications for women’s safety and heart disease prediction. Cognitii is currently running pilot projects in Telangana, Andhra Pradesh and Kerala in collaboration with state systems to improve disability prevalence tracking, inclusion outcomes and budget utilisation. The prize funds will support expanded government partnerships and the development of a national disability data layer.

Heritage Institute of Technology stated that Ghosh’s achievement reflects the institution’s focus on innovation with public impact. Pradip Agarwal, CEO of the Heritage Group of Institutions, said the recognition highlights the role of technology in advancing inclusive education and will serve as an example for young engineers and innovators.

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