To support the growth of emerging technologies in the state, the Karnataka government has inked three memorandums of association (MoA) worth IN₹100.52 crores (US$13.5 million). The agreements were signed at an event to foster innovation, indigenisation, and inclusive and equitable growth in Karnataka. It was organised by the state government and the Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade (DPIIT).
The centres of excellence set up under these MoAs aim to nurture and facilitate researchers, academicians, start-ups, and the industry to develop technological frameworks, characterising ethical bindings and enabling the responsible deployment of artificial intelligence (AI) and the Internet of Things (IoT) in areas like agriculture, healthcare, manufacturing, smart cities, and education.
As per a news report, the first MoA was signed between the Karnataka Department of Electronics, Information Technology/Biotechnology (IT/BT), S&T and the Software Technology Parks of India (STPI). The sides would set up a Centre of Excellence for Efficiency Augmentation in Bengaluru. The centre will support start-ups that build products and solutions, leveraging emerging technologies like AI, machine learning (ML), big data, and IoT, among others, to contribute to the government flagship programmes: Make in India and Digital India.
The second MoA, a tri-party agreement between the Karnataka Innovation and Technology Society (KITS) and I-Hub ARTPark, will help create and maintain next-generation AI, robotics, and advanced communication facilities (5G). It aims to nurture ‘technopreneurship’ activities. The government will provide financial assistance of IN₹60 crores (US$8 million) towards setting up the centre of excellence and its operations for five years.
The third MoA was signed by KITS, the International Institute of Information Technology in Bangalore (IIIT-Bangalore), and the World Economic Forum (WEF). The MoA is related to the establishment of a Centre for the Internet of Ethical Things (CIET) in Bengaluru at a cost of IN₹22.92 crores (US$3 million). The proposed centre will contribute to policy frameworks about the ethical and moral aspects of technologies and intends to foster a thriving innovation ecosystem in the state.
State governments and educational institutes all over the country are accelerating the investment, research, and development of emerging technologies like AI/ML, robotics, IoT, and cloud computing. Recently, the Indian Institute of Science in Bangalore (IISc), in collaboration with a private player, announced it would establish a state-of-the-art AI/ML centre at the IISc campus. Spread across approximately 140,000 square feet, the centre will offer Bachelor’s, Master’s, and short-term courses in areas AI/ML, deep learning, fintech, reinforcement learning, image processing, and computer vision.
As OpenGov Asia reported, the centre will also promote research and innovation in AI/ML and develop the talent pool from across the country to provide cutting-edge solutions to meet the industry’s emerging and future requirements. According to a statement, as IISc continues to deliver on its mandate to provide advanced scientific and technological research and education, its partnerships with forward-thinking institutions will help it scale up substantially and position India as a deep tech innovation hub.
The global AI market size is expected to gain momentum and reach US$360.36 billion by 2028 while exhibiting a CAGR of 33.6% between 2021 to 2028. AI has become immensely popular, and industries across the globe are rapidly incorporating it into their processes to improve business operations and customer experience. The Indian government is developing and implementing several AI-driven initiatives in education, healthcare, agriculture, and finance. Educational institutes and government agencies are launching centres and offering courses in emerging technology to help build a skilled workforce.
