India's AI Centres to Drive Research and Innovation

Union Minister Dharmendra Pradhan announced the establishment of three AI Centres of Excellence (CoEs) in India, focusing on healthcare, agriculture, and sustainable cities, to be led by AIIMS, IIT Delhi, IIT Ropar, and IIT Kanpur respectively. This initiative, part of the 'Make AI in India' vision, will be funded with ₹990 crores over five years, aiming to enhance AI-driven research and innovation. These CoEs are expected to contribute significantly to global public policy and India's start-up ecosystem. The selection process for these centres has faced criticism from Mohandas Pai, who questioned the exclusion of Bengaluru, a major tech hub. Zoho CEO Sridhar Vembu, co-chair of the selection committee, defended the decision, emphasizing that the selection was merit-based and not politically influenced.