Wysa, the Bengaluru-based digital mental health platform that has supported millions of users globally, has received a major $5.3 million research grant from Wellcome, one of the world’s leading charitable foundations focused on health research. The funding, announced on January 28, 2026, will support a multi-year, multi-site randomised controlled trial (RCT) to evaluate the impact of Wysa’s AI-driven mental health tools on adolescents in India—a country where mental health challenges among young people are rising rapidly but access to professional care remains severely limited.

The study will enrol thousands of school-going adolescents (aged 13–19) across diverse urban, semi-urban, and rural settings in multiple states. Participants will be randomised to receive either standard mental health support or Wysa’s intervention, which includes an anonymous, 24/7 conversational AI chatbot offering cognitive behavioural techniques, mindfulness exercises, mood tracking, and guided self-help pathways. The trial will measure primary outcomes such as reductions in anxiety, depression, and stress symptoms (using validated scales like PHQ-9, GAD-7, and PSS), as well as secondary endpoints including school attendance, sleep quality, self-esteem, and help-seeking behaviour.

Wysa’s platform is uniquely suited for this research due to its low-cost, scalable, stigma-free design—no human therapist required for initial engagement—and its proven ability to deliver evidence-based interventions in local languages. The study will also assess safety, engagement patterns, and any unintended effects, while exploring equity considerations across gender, socioeconomic status, and geographic location.

Ramakanta Mishra, Founder & CEO of Wysa, said: “This grant from Wellcome is a powerful validation of our mission to make mental health support available to every young person who needs it. India has one of the largest adolescent populations in the world, and the mental health burden is immense. This rigorous study will provide the high-quality evidence needed to guide policy, scale effective digital solutions, and ultimately save lives.”

The project will be conducted in partnership with leading academic institutions, child psychologists, and public health experts to ensure scientific rigour, ethical standards, and cultural appropriateness. All data will be handled with strict privacy protections aligned with India’s Digital Personal Data Protection Act and international guidelines. Results are expected to be published in top-tier journals and shared openly to inform national and global mental health strategies.

The Wellcome grant reflects growing international recognition that digital-first interventions can play a critical role in addressing the youth mental health crisis—particularly in low- and middle-income countries where traditional services are overwhelmed or inaccessible.