Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan Launches 3 CoEs in AI to Boost India's Skill Ecosystem
On October 15, 2024 (Tuesday), Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan introduced three AI Centres of Excellence (CoE) in New Delhi, targeting Healthcare, Agriculture, and Sustainable Cities. Attendees included Secretary of Higher Education K. Sanjay Murthy, Co-chair of the Apex Committee and Zoho Corporation CEO Dr. Sridhar Vembu, and various senior government officials. Shri Pradhan presented a sapling to AIIMS and IIT representatives for their support.
The "Viksit Bharat" vision is gaining momentum with three AI Centers of Excellence. Top educational institutions, industry partners, and startups are joining forces to conduct interdisciplinary research, develop innovative applications, and create scalable solutions. Ultimately, this initiative aims to cultivate high-quality human resources in critical AI fields, propelling India's growth and development.
Shri Dharmendra Pradhan expressed his vision for the 3 AI Centers of Excellence (CoEs) to become "Centers of global excellence". He emphasized that the launch of these centers marks significant progress in establishing India's credibility in the global AI landscape. Shri Pradhan also states that India's talent and enthusiasm will propel these CoEs to the forefront of global public policy and position them as solution providers worldwide.
On social media platform X, Minister Dharmendra Pradhan wrote "I'd like to extend my heartfelt appreciation to the apex committee led by Shri @svembu for their diligent efforts in establishing Centers of Excellence (CoEs) in AI at our top academic institutions. Your hard work will undoubtedly propel India forward as a global AI hub, thanks to Hon'ble PM @narendramodi ji's visionary leadership.
The three CoEs in AI - focusing on healthcare (led by @iitdelhi & @aiims_newdelhi), agriculture (led by @iitrpr), and sustainable cities (led by @IITKanpur) - will revolutionize India's startup ecosystem, nurture innovators, and create impactful global public goods.
These CoEs will emerge as beacons of global public good! Leveraging Bharat's exceptional talent and enthusiasm, they'll shape global public policy and provide solutions for the world's pressing challenges.
Shri K. Sanjay Murthy and Dr. Sridhar Vembu emphasized the importance of Centers of Excellence (CoEs) for India's progress. CoEs will benefit the entire country through interdisciplinary research and collaboration, resolving common problems and driving progress. They will also nurture India's talent pool, creating companies and opportunities. Smt. Saumya Gupta presented on AI-CoE's development, and a short film highlighted the initiative's significance.
India is taking a significant leap towards achieving its "Make AI in India and Make AI work for India" vision with the establishment of three AI-CoEs, announced in the 2023-24 Budget under Para 60. This initiative will receive a substantial financial boost of Rs. 990 crores from FY 2023-24 to FY 2027-28, demonstrating the government's commitment to fostering AI innovation and growth. To spearhead this project, an Apex Committee has been formed, co-chaired by renowned industry expert Dr. Sridhar Vembu.
(Input from various sources)
(Rehash/Sai Sindhuja K/MSM)
