India is taking a giant leap forward in its AI ambitions. The Union Education Minister, Dharmendra Pradhan, announced the establishment of three AI Centers of Excellence (CoEs) in New Delhi, strategically focusing on crucial sectors: healthcare, agriculture, and sustainable cities. These CoEs will be spearheaded by leading academic institutions: AIIMS and IIT Delhi for healthcare, IIT Ropar for agriculture, and IIT Kanpur for sustainable cities. They will work in close collaboration with industry partners and startups, leveraging the collective expertise to drive innovation and progress.
The initiative, dubbed ‘Make AI in India and Make AI work for India,’ signifies a major investment in India’s AI future. With a total financial outlay of Rs 990 crore (approximately $120 million), these CoEs will operate for five years, starting from FY 2023-24 to FY 2027-28. This ambitious endeavor will not only strengthen India’s position as a global AI powerhouse but also contribute to tackling some of the most pressing challenges faced by the nation and the world.
The establishment of these centers is a direct outcome of the Budget Announcement for 2023-24, under Para 60. Minister Pradhan expressed his belief that these CoEs will emerge as global hubs of public good, effectively addressing societal concerns through the power of AI. He highlighted that India’s talent pool and dedication will propel these CoEs to become key players in shaping global public policy and providing innovative solutions to the world’s challenges.
The project has been guided by a dedicated apex committee, led by Sridhar Vembu, who played a pivotal role in bringing this vision to reality. Minister Pradhan acknowledged Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s vision of making India a global AI hub, emphasizing that the CoEs will be instrumental in fostering a thriving startup ecosystem, nurturing a new generation of entrepreneurs and job creators, and ultimately paving the way for new paradigms of global public good.
The CoEs are designed to benefit the entire nation, not just specific institutions. K Sanjay Murthy emphasized the importance of interdisciplinary research and collaboration, highlighting how challenge-based approaches in educational institutions have been instrumental in finding solutions to complex problems. He expressed gratitude to Minister Pradhan for his unwavering support in bringing this project to fruition.
Sridhar Vembu, in his address, painted a picture of how these projects will holistically benefit villages, cities, and the people of India. He underscored the importance of nurturing India’s talent pool, ensuring their growth and contribution to the nation’s progress in the years to come. The CoEs, according to Vembu, will play a crucial role in creating companies, nurturing talent, and generating opportunities for India’s burgeoning talent pool.
To realize the vision of ‘Viksit Bharat’ (developed India), these three AI CoEs will act as catalysts for innovation and progress. Led by top educational institutions and fueled by industry partnerships and startup collaborations, they will undertake interdisciplinary research, develop cutting-edge AI applications, and create scalable solutions for healthcare, agriculture, and sustainable cities. This initiative is poised to energize the AI ecosystem in India, nurturing high-quality talent and paving the way for a brighter, more technologically advanced future for the country.
An industry-heavy apex committee, co-chaired by Dr. Sridhar Vembu, has been constituted to oversee the effective implementation of this ambitious project, ensuring that India’s vision for AI leadership translates into tangible results and a brighter future for all.
