Google And NITI Aayog To Boost AI In India

Tech giant Google has partnered with NITI Aayog to provide an artificial intelligence (AI) based skill training opportunity to Indian startups as well as to budding entrepreneurs. The two companies have signed a statement of intent (SoI) to train and incubate Indian based startups who are specializing in the field of artificial intelligence.

The program will benefit startups and students (graduates and trainees) belonging to a wide range of colleges and universities. With the help of study groups, the NITI will impart the information and hold training sessions of the students in a controlled environment.

NITI Aayog CEO Amitabh Kant said, “NITI’s partnership with Google will unlock massive training initiatives, support startups, and encourage AI research through PhD scholarships, all of which contributes to the larger idea of a technologically empowered New India.” The key areas the joint partnership focuses on includes the following areas:

• Training sessions will be organised on how to effeciently use AI tools and resources
• Awarding grants and scholarships for students and startups in the field of AI and machine learning (ML)
• The program focuses on organising AI and ML study programs on Google’s Machine Learning Course (MLC)
• Trainees will be taught on how to incubate AI and ML startups
• Hackathons will be organised using AI, ML and open data sets to solve key challenges in a timely and easy fashion

The Government of India has allocated over $ 480 million under the Digital India initiative in the Union Budget 2018 for this program. With further initiatives like this, the Government of India aims at increasing the already existing AI base. The involvement of the likes of Google in training students and startups in AI will surely bolster the Indian government’s effort to promote research and development in machine learning, artificial intelligence, and other technologies of the not so far away future.