Thiruvananthapuram, May 21 (IANS). Taking a major step towards developing itself as a national AI hub, Kerala on Thursday announced setting up of two Artificial Intelligence Centers of Excellence (AI-CoE) in partnership with the India AI Mission under the Union Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology.
These two projects, a Bio-AI Center in Kochi and an AI Center of Excellence in Thiruvananthapuram, will together attract investments of about Rs 40 crore. These projects are expected to drive the next phase of technology-led development in Kerala, with a strong focus on research, promotion of startups and business innovation.
The ‘Bio-AI Center of Excellence’ to be set up by Kerala Startup Mission at the Kochi-based digital hub aims to combine Kerala’s biodiversity, Ayurvedic tradition and genomics capabilities with advanced AI technology.
Powered by the ‘Tejasvi’ supercomputer of Cochin University of Science and Technology and in collaboration with the Kerala Genome Data Centre, the project aims to foster 48 deep tech startups and create around 600 direct high-value jobs in four years.
The center will focus on areas such as AI-based drug discovery, precision Ayurveda, genomics and agri-tech innovations for the spice sector of Kerala.
More than 40,000 spice farmers are expected to benefit from the AI-based tools developed under this initiative, officials said. The aim is to increase their income by 20 percent through predictive analytics, pest management and premium quality certification systems.
The Rs 20 crore project is based on a 40:40:20 funding model, involving the central government, state government and an industry consortium.
The second AI Center of Excellence will be set up in Thiruvananthapuram under the Digital University Kerala, for which a special facility of 10,000 square feet will be created. Its aim is to bridge the gap between AI research and market-ready applications.
The center will support startups in commercialization, skill development and industry collaboration, and will also focus on AI solutions tailored to the socio-economic needs of Kerala.
Launching the initiative, Kerala IT and Industries Minister P.K. Kunhalikutty said these projects are a historic moment for the state.
“Kerala is not only taking part in India’s AI mission, but we are also helping shape it,” he said.
–IANS
SHK/ABM
