When knowledge is shared in the spirit of service, education becomes a powerful instrument of transformation. This spirit of collaboration came alive at the Sri Sathya Sai Vidya Vahini (SSSVV) Collaborators Conference 2026, which commenced this morning at Prasanthi Nilayam.
The two-day conference brings together SSSVV’s collaborators and Centres of Excellence from across the country, particularly those working in the field of inclusive education, to share experience, explore new possibilities and strengthen collective efforts towards making quality education accessible to every child.
The inaugural session that commenced at Sai Hira Global Convention Centre featured insightful presentations from several collaborators, including Mr Chetan Kapoor, CEO, Tech Mahindra Foundation, who spoke on the possibilities of technology and collaboration in advancing education.
Participating organisations include IDBA, Indore; Muskaan Foundation, Mumbai; Mahatma Group of Schools, Madurai; Together Foundation, Hosur; ISRO; Alpha to Omega, among others — reflecting the wide spectrum of expertise that has come together with SSSVV in the service of education.
The evening session moved to Sai Kulwant Hall, with Mr T K Anil Kumar, IAS, Secretary, School Education and Literacy, Government of India, as Chief Guest. Appreciating the work of SSSVV, the distinguished guest highlighted its contribution to digital education at the national level, and emphasised the importance of technology, ethical AI, multilingual education and inclusive opportunities for learners with special needs.
Sharing the journey of SSSVV, Ms Karuna Munshi, Director, SSSVV, highlighted its growing national footprint through collaborations with NCERT-CIET, NITI Aayog and SWAYAM Plus of IIT Madras. SSSVV has also contributed over 9,000 mainstream digital resources to DIKSHA, with a growing repository of specialised resources for inclusive education.
A significant highlight of the conference was the launch of the Inclusive Learning Repository, a free digital platform offering barrier-free educational resources for neurodiverse children and learners with special needs. Two interactive web-based learning games, developed by students of the Sri Sathya Sai Institute of Higher Learning, were also introduced to support neurodiverse learners. The occasion further witnessed the exchange of an MoU between SSSVV and SSSIHL, formalising their collaboration in developing technology-enabled tools for inclusive education.
The spirit behind these initiatives was beautifully reflected in the sharing by the collaborators.
Father S Almeida of Father Agnel Educational Institutes, Navi Mumbai, spoke of their inclusive education practices and the value of sharing ground-level classroom experience, which SSSVV transforms into freely accessible digital resources for teachers across the country.
Ms Premalatha Panneerselvam of Mahatma Group of Schools, Madurai, shared the experience of their collaboration through the NITI Aayog initiative in Virudhunagar, where 1,800 government school teachers across 84 rural schools were trained, reaching approximately 36,000 students. Her reaffirmation of continued, unconditional support to Vidya Vahini echoed the deeper spirit of the gathering — to serve and celebrate children.
The evening concluded on a devotional note with a soulful musical presentation by Mr Manoj Govindraj and Mr Adithya Venkatesh.
More than a conference, the gathering is a celebration of collaboration in the service of children. As institutions, educators, technologists and volunteers join hands, the vision of Sri Sathya Sai Vidya Vahini continues to travel from Prasanthi to the nation, carrying with it the timeless message that education must not merely inform the mind, but illumine the heart, empower every learner and leave no child behind.
