Aligning with India’s broader vision to become a global artificial intelligence (AI) hub, Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman announced the creation of three Centres of Excellence (CoEs) in AI for education on Saturday.
The initiative, with a budget allocation of $50 million, aims to strengthen AI research and its use in the country’s education system. These new AI Centres of Excellence will focus on advanced research, the development of AI learning tools, and fostering collaboration between educational institutions and industries. The goal is to equip students with the skills they need to thrive in the future.
“AI is transforming industries worldwide, and India needs to lead in both AI research and its practical applications,” FM Sitharaman stated while presenting the Union Budget in Parliament. She added that these Centres of Excellence will act as innovation hubs and help develop AI solutions that can be used in education.
The CoEs will collaborate with top educational institutions, research organizations, and private sector players to develop AI models for various educational needs. This includes creating personalized learning tools, automated assessments, and AI-based tutoring systems that can enhance the learning experience for students.
India is likely to launch its own safe and secure indigenous artificial intelligence (AI) model within six months at an affordable cost. The Indian AI model is a timely step as India is a trusted nation, and it will help the country emerge as a more reliable technological powerhouse of ethical AI solutions in the days to come.
Backed by a high-end common computing facility, the IndiaAI mission is now closer to customizing indigenous AI solutions for the domestic context using Indian languages.
In addition to the AI centres, the government has announced plans to expand infrastructure at five IITs that were established after 2014. This expansion will add academic and hostel facilities, accommodating 6,500 more students. The IITs benefiting from this expansion include IIT Bhilai, IIT Dharwad, IIT Goa, IIT Jammu, and IIT Tirupati.
