AI Centres of Excellence: Pioneering India's Leap into Global AI Leadership
Dali Agrahari
On October 15, 2024, Union Minister for Education, Shri Dharmendra Pradhan, announced the establishment of three Artificial Intelligence (AI) Centres of Excellence (CoEs) in Healthcare, Agriculture, and Sustainable Cities. With a budgetary allocation of Rs. 990 crore over five years, these AI-CoEs signal India's ambitious pursuit of becoming a global leader in artificial intelligence, while driving job creation, wealth generation, and sustainable public goods.
This initiative, spearheaded by Prime Minister Narendra Modi's vision of "Viksit Bharat" (Developed India), has been strategically designed to harness the power of AI in addressing some of the nation's - and the world's- most pressing challenges.
AI as a Solution Provider for Global Good
Shri Dharmendra Pradhan's assertion that these AI-CoEs will become "temples of global public good" resonates deeply with India's broader aspirations to lead the way in AI-driven global solutions. These centres, which will be hosted at IIT Delhi, IIT Kanpur, and IIT Ropar, aim to pioneer cutting-edge research in collaboration with industry stakeholders, start-ups, and government agencies. With AI poised to redefine the future of healthcare, agriculture, and urban development, India's CoEs are designed to generate scalable, impactful innovations with far-reaching global applications.
The establishment of AI-CoEs comes at a time when AI is increasingly being seen as a critical tool for solving complex socio-economic problems. In healthcare, AI holds immense potential to optimise diagnostics, precision medicine, and health data management, particularly in rural and under-served areas. For agriculture, AI-driven solutions can enhance crop yields, optimise water usage, and ensure sustainable farming practices, crucial for a country where the agricultural sector supports a significant portion of the population. Meanwhile, the focus on sustainable cities aligns with India's rapid urbanisation and the need for AI-enhanced smart city infrastructure to manage urban sprawl, traffic, waste, and energy consumption.
India's AI Ecosystem: An Enabler for Job Creation
One of the key dimensions of the AI-CoE initiative is its emphasis on creating jobs and nurturing the next generation of entrepreneurs and wealth creators. As Shri Pradhan noted, the CoEs will play a pivotal role in shaping the talent pool of India's future workforce, equipping it with the skills necessary for an AI-driven world. By investing in research and development in these critical sectors, India not only strengthens its internal capabilities but also positions itself as a leading exporter of AI-driven solutions.
This aligns with India's broader start-up ecosystem, which has already seen remarkable growth in the AI domain. The AI-CoEs are expected to further bolster this ecosystem by fostering deep-tech start-ups, which will be instrumental in developing AI-based products and services for global markets. These start-ups, incubated in world-class academic institutions like IITs, will likely collaborate with industry players, unlocking synergies that could accelerate the commercial deployment of AI technologies.
Global Public Good and Policy Leadership
The global AI race is not just about technological prowess, but also about creating responsible AI frameworks that serve humanity. Government of India's vision for the AI-CoEs reflects a broader push to make AI a tool for global public good. As AI continues to permeate various sectors, ethical AI development and governance will become paramount. India's AI-CoEs, embedded in academic and research ecosystems, are well-positioned to take a leadership role in defining responsible AI policies that promote transparency, equity, and inclusivity.
Moreover, the establishment of these centres underlines India's commitment to global leadership in emerging technologies. The fact that the apex committee for these CoEs is co-chaired by industry stalwarts like Zoho Corporation's Founder and CEO, Shri Sridhar Vembu, underscores the government's belief in the power of industry-academia collaboration. These partnerships are key to ensuring that India's AI efforts are aligned with global technological standards and best practices, thus reinforcing India's credibility in international AI policy dialogues.
Interdisciplinary Research and Scalable Solutions
What sets these AI-CoEs apart is their interdisciplinary approach. By merging AI with domain expertise in healthcare, agriculture, and urban planning, the CoEs aim to create holistic, scalable solutions. For example, AI-powered diagnostic tools can revolutionise healthcare delivery by making advanced medical technologies accessible to even the remotest corners of the country. Similarly, in agriculture, AI can be used to predict weather patterns, soil health, and pest outbreaks, enabling farmers to make data-driven decisions that enhance productivity while minimising environmental impact.
Furthermore, the focus on sustainable cities comes at a crucial time as India continues to witness unprecedented urban growth. AI applications in urban planning, transportation management, and environmental sustainability will help cities manage resources more efficiently and improve the quality of life for citizens. The overarching goal is to create solutions that can be scaled across regions and exported globally, showcasing India's AI-driven innovations on the world stage.
Realising "Make AI in India and Make AI Work for India"
This initiative ties into the larger government agenda of "Make AI in India and Make AI work for India," emphasising the dual objectives of developing AI technologies within the country and applying them to meet national and global challenges. The budgetary approval of Rs. 990 crore over five years represents a significant financial commitment, illustrating the government's recognition of AI as a critical driver of future economic growth and development.
As these CoEs take shape, they will not only contribute to India's technological prowess but also pave the way for AI to become a force multiplier for global public good. The involvement of premier institutions and leading industry figures ensures that the AI-CoEs will be at the cutting edge of research and innovation, driving India's ambition to become a global AI hub.
IndiaAI Mission
The IndiaAI Mission, with a financial outlay of over Rs. 10,300 crore, marks a critical step in India's ambitious goal of becoming a global leader in artificial intelligence. Approved by the Cabinet in March 2024, this five-year initiative is set to catalyse India's AI ecosystem, aiming to empower AI startups, expand access to cutting-edge compute infrastructure, and drive AI-led innovation across key sectors like healthcare, education, and governance. According to Union Minister Shri Rajeev Chandrasekhar, this mission will position India as a major force in AI by 2029, helping shape the future of AI not just for India but for the global community.
The allocation is particularly notable for its multi-faceted approach, which targets key areas crucial to building a robust AI infrastructure. Central to the IndiaAI Mission is the IndiaAI Compute Capacity, a programme designed to establish an extensive network of over 10,000 Graphics Processing Units (GPUs) through public-private collaborations. This scalable compute infrastructure will provide AI researchers, startups, and academic institutions with the computational power needed to develop cutting-edge AI models. This will enable India to compete globally by driving advancements in AI technologies like Large Multimodal Models (LMMs) and domain-specific applications.
In addition, the IndiaAI Innovation Centre (IAIC) will play a pivotal role by nurturing top research talent and accelerating the development of indigenous AI solutions. By spearheading research in foundational AI models, IAIC aims to establish India as a hub for AI innovation, leveraging the potential of edge and distributed computing for efficient model deployment. This not only elevates India's technological capabilities but also promotes self-reliance in the development of critical AI technologies.
Furthermore, the IndiaAI Datasets Platform will enhance access to high-quality public datasets, which are essential for AI research and development. The Independent Business Division (IBD) of IndiaAI will be responsible for curating and managing this platform, ensuring that AI innovations are data-driven and aligned with India's unique socio-economic challenges. This democratisation of data access is critical for the development of data-driven governance models, which have the potential to transform service delivery, enhance public welfare, and streamline decision-making processes.
Perhaps one of the most impactful aspects of the IndiaAI Mission is its emphasis on fostering AI education and skills. The IndiaAI FutureSkills programme will expand the reach of AI education by increasing access to graduate and post-graduate AI programmes. It will also establish Data and AI Labs in both major cities and smaller towns, ensuring that foundational knowledge in AI and data science is accessible to all. This move is critical for creating a new generation of AI professionals who are well-equipped to navigate and innovate within the rapidly evolving AI landscape.
From a startup ecosystem perspective, the IndiaAI Mission will provide targeted support through the IndiaAI Startup Financing mechanism. This will facilitate streamlined access to funding for budding AI startups, helping them move from product development to commercialisation. With a specific focus on social impact projects, the initiative will encourage entrepreneurship that drives both technological advancement and societal benefit. This is particularly relevant for regions like Kerala, which, according to Minister Chandrasekhar, holds immense untapped potential in AI innovation and startups. By fostering AI-driven entrepreneur-ship, the mission aligns with Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi's vision of leveraging AI for national progress and economic expansion.
Another notable feature is the mission's focus on Safe and Trusted AI, which underscores India's commitment to the ethical deployment of AI technologies. As AI continues to permeate various sectors, ensuring that it is transparent, fair, and responsible becomes paramount. The IndiaAI Mission will promote guidelines and frameworks to ensure that AI applications adhere to ethical standards, safeguard privacy, and avoid perpetuating biases or inequalities.
By balancing innovation with responsibility, the IndiaAI Mission represents a holistic effort to harness AI's potential for societal good. Through initiatives like the IndiaAI Compute Capacity, FutureSkills programme, and IAIC, the mission not only addresses India's domestic needs but also positions the country as a global leader in AI development. This extensive financial commitment will ensure that AI's benefits are democratised, empowering startups, creating jobs, fostering education, and enhancing India's strategic standing in the global AI ecosystem. As India moves forward with this mission, it will not only bolster its technological infrastructure but also contribute significantly to shaping the global discourse on AI and its transformative potential for the future
What are Sustainable Public Goods and the Role of AI
Sustainable public goods refer to resources, services, or systems that are both accessible to everyone (non-excludable) and can be used by multiple people without diminishing their availability to others (non-rivalrous), while being maintained for long-term use without depleting or degrading them. These goods benefit society as a whole and are managed in ways that ensure they are preserved for future generations, balancing environmental, social, and economic considerations.
For example, clean air, public health systems, and urban infrastructure like parks and public transportation are considered public goods. When these goods are developed and maintained sustainably, they continue to provide long-term benefits, ensuring equitable access and protecting resources from overuse or environmental harm. The focus is on creating systems that are resilient, resource-efficient, and environmentally friendly while meeting the needs of present and future populations.
In the context of AI Centres of Excellence (CoEs) in Healthcare, Agriculture, and Sustainable Cities, sustainable public goods would refer to the AI-driven innovations and solutions that aim to improve public health, enhance agricultural productivity, and promote urban sustainability. These solutions should be designed in a way that they are accessible to all, protect the environment, and can be sustained over time without causing long-term damage to resources or society.
The Imperative of Ethical AI
In a critical move to ensure the responsible development of Artificial Intelligence (AI), the IndiaAI Mission on October 16 selected eight projects under its Safe and Trusted AI Pillar. These projects address key challenges in AI, such as bias, privacy, and transparency, and are part of the Government of India’s broader initiative to foster ethical, inclusive AI development. This selection reinforces the nation's commitment to advancing technological progress while upholding societal responsibility.
Chosen from over 2,000 proposals submitted by academic institutions, start-ups, and research organisations, the selected projects focus on vital areas such as Machine Unlearning, Synthetic Data Generation, AI Bias Mitigation, Explainable AI, and Privacy-Enhancing Tools. These efforts reflect India's goal of creating indigenous solutions tailored to its unique needs, including its diverse datasets and ethical concerns. Esteemed institutions like IIT Delhi, IIT Roorkee, and the National Institute of Technology Raipur are leading these initiatives, contributing to India's growing role in the global AI ecosystem.
Among the standout projects is IIT Jodhpur's work on Machine Unlearning in Generative Foundation Models, which aims to improve AI's ability to forget specific data- a critical feature in privacy-sensitive applications. NIT Raipur is also tackling AI bias in healthcare systems, addressing the urgent need for fairness and accuracy in critical sectors like healthcare.
India's stance on ethical AI mirrors the growing global concern around responsible AI development, as reflected in discussions at international forums like the United Nations (UN), the World Economic Forum (WEF), and the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD). Globally, ethical AI governance has emerged as a critical issue, with efforts focussed on ensuring transparency, reducing bias, and preventing job displacement. For instance, the European Union's AI Act sets a precedent for risk classification and accountability in AI deployment, and both the G7 and G20 have addressed AI ethics in their summits, calling for global cooperation on responsible AI use and its broader implications.
India's approach to AI ethics, while in line with global standards, focusses on adapting AI to its unique socio-economic landscape. The country emphasises AI's potential for social empowerment, inclusivity, and sustainability, particularly in areas such as healthcare, agriculture, and urban development. India has played an active role in international efforts, such as UNESCO's Recommendation on the Ethics of Artificial Intelligence and the Global Partnership on AI (GPAI), advocating for AI systems that are human-centred, trustworthy, and aligned with the public good, especially for developing nations.
India's engagement in ethical AI discourse also extends to safeguarding data privacy and preventing algorithmic biases, which are key concerns raised at international forums. With its large and diverse population, India's AI strategy is designed to bridge social and economic divides, ensuring AI's benefits reach marginalised communities without exacerbating inequality. India's leadership in the G20 Digital Economy Working Group and initiatives such as the AI for Social Good Summit highlight its commitment to shaping a global framework for ethical AI, with a focus on the needs of the Global South. Through these efforts, India is positioning itself as a leader in responsible AI governance, balancing innovation with societal welfare and global cooperation.
(The author is a NEET/JEE coach and career counsellor. Feedback on this article can be sent to feedback.employment news@gmail.com).
Views expressed are personal.