The Chief Minister for the state of Rajasthan recently approved a proposal to collaborate with leading information technology (IT) companies to develop and deploy training programmes to students in artificial intelligence (AI), machine learning, robotics, and virtual learning at the Rajiv Gandhi Centre for Advanced Technology. According to a news report by The Times of India, Gehlot in the budget announced the Rajiv Gandhi Centre for Advanced Technology would be set up in Jaipur for IN₹2 billion (US$26.9 million). The centre will conduct certificate courses and multidisciplinary research on cutting-edge technology and will be used to make the general public aware of new innovations in emerging technologies.
The government aims for the centre to be a high-level institution where the latest information technology training programmes will be conducted for the youth of the state by world-class IT companies. To facilitate and encourage these companies to start their own training facilities in the state, the Chief Minister has approved providing well-equipped training institutes and maintenance facilities free of cost.
Various quality training courses in three categories will be conducted in this institute by reputed IT companies as training partners. The first will be a premium course, which will be fee-based. The second course will be subsidised by the state government, in which 100 children will be selected for each of the training partners. The third course will be based on e-learning and will be free of cost, the course material will also be provided for free.
The AI market in India could grow at a five-year compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 20.2% and reach US$7.8 billion in total revenues by 2025. The country has been heavily investing in developing AI/ML courses and solutions. Last year, OpenGov Asia reported that 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.
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.
Another public organisation, the Indian Institute of Technology in Roorkee (IIT-Roorkee), said it would set up a new school for AI and data science. The course will invite renowned experts in the field of AI to participate in designing relevant curricula as well as faculties and mentors who will encourage innovative research ideas to the students. These experts will also facilitate student scholarships and faculty exchange programmes. AI-driven technologies are rapidly transforming the world. Academic collaborations between international faculty and institutes can help solve ongoing global challenges like climate change, resource sustainability, and information security.