Technology, Advocacy and Animal Liberation: PETA India at the Vegan India Conference 2026
From compassionate advancements to conscious conversations, the Vegan India Conference 2026 was a vibrant hub of all things kind, innovative, and animal-friendly. PETA India brought insights into integrating technology and animal liberation to the country’s biggest celebration of plant-powered change, with an AI-powered robot, virtual reality experiences, compelling investigations into the egg and dairy industry and petitions, proving that compassion and progress can go hand in hand.
PETA India’s AI-powered robot calf, Jeev, was a clear crowd favourite, as he raised awareness of choosing animal-friendly alternatives and sparked important conversations about the cruelty to animals in the leather industry. Moving through the space and interacting with attendees, Jeev asked a simple yet thought-provoking question: “Are you wearing my mother?”
Siddharth Kothari with PETA India’s AI-Powered Robot Calf, Jeev at the Vegan India Conference 2026
Abhay Rangan with PETA India’s AI-Powered Robot Calf, Jeev at the Vegan India Conference 2026
These interactions encouraged visitors to reflect on the reality behind animal-derived leather products, where cows are separated from their babies, abused, and killed just so their skin can be turned into leather accessories. .
PETA India Vice President of Policy, Khushboo Gupta, shared insights on how technological advancements are helping make change for animals possible. Through her session, attendees learned how innovative approaches, including PETA India’s AI-powered robot calf, Jeev and robot goat, Awaaz, are sharing the truth behind the leather and meat industry, urging people to make compassionate choices.
Khushboo also shared PETA India’s other technology-powered initiatives, including the use of robotic animals to replace live ones, such as mechanical elephants in temples instead of real ones, the use of simulation software, the replacement of Mumbai’s horse-drawn Victoria carriages with heritage-style e-carriages, and the replacement of horse- or bullock-drawn carts with e-rickshaws through our Delhi Mechanisation Project. She also highlighted PETA Youth’s virtual reality programmes, which students experience at college fests and events, exposing cruelty to animals through role reversal and powerful AI-driven dialogues, as well as Ellie, Asia’s first animatronic empathy-building elephant voiced by actor Dia Mirza, who visits schools to instill compassion and awareness among schoolchildren for animals used for entertainment. These initiatives are powerful tools that can help shift perspectives and strengthen the movement for animal liberation.
PETA India Vice President of Policy, Khushboo Gupta sharing insights on PETA India’s integration of technology and animal liberation at the Vegan India Conference 2026
PETA India Vice President of Policy, Khushboo Gupta during her session at the Vegan India Conference 2026
PETA’s booth featured “Save the Boy Child” campaign encouraged visitors to take PETA India’s pledge to try vegan. The display showed cruelty behind eggs and dairy – educating the visitors about the lesser-known realities of the egg and dairy industries through videos, conversations, and educational leaflets exposing the suffering of male chicks and male calves, who are often discarded or killed because they are not considered “useful” for egg or dairy production.
PETA Youth stall at the Vegan India Conference 2026
PETA India Senior Manager of Vegan and Corporate Projects Dr Kiran Ahuja, Founder, Vegan India Conference Palak Mehta, former MLA from Karnataka and a distinguished leader in public service Sowmya Reddy and PETA India Youth Outreach Lead, Nazifa Anwar at PETA Youth’s ‘Save the Boy Child’ stall at the Vegan India Conference 2026
Visitors joined PETA India is demanding stronger penalties against animal abuse by signing PETA India’s petition and picked up free PETA India merchandise like stickers, badges, and wristbands, turning awareness into tangible support for animals.
PETA India’s Director Poorva Joshipura’s latest book, Survival at Stake: How Our Treatment of Animals Is Key to Human Existence, which highlights how being kind to animals helps protect all beings and the planet was also available to read.
The vegan movement in India continues to grow, with increasing awareness and more people willing to question everyday choices and make kinder ones. As awareness spreads and the community flourishes, it shows that when everyone is informed and engaged, meaningful change for animals becomes possible.
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