TCS picks Hyderabad for R&D centre on futuristic tech

Hyderabad: Strengthening Hyderabad’s claim of being a premier IT services and research hub, TCS on Thursday announced setting up of an advanced research centre on intelligent systems at IIIT-Hyderabad. According to TCS MD and CEO N. Chandrasekaran, the F.C. Kohli Centre on Intelligent Systems (KCIS)  named after the father of Indian IT industry  would carry out high impact research in Intelligent Systems, which is a critical area for carrying out sustainable innovation in topics like natural language processing, robotics and cognitive sciences.

Intelligent systems comes under advanced area of computing, involving artificial intelligence. Its application includes robots, driverless cars, or devices, requiring autonomous or semi-autonomous functioning of computer systems with the help of artificial intelligence. Currently, some IITs, BITS-Pilani, and DRDO have centres on intelligent systems. TCS collaboration with IIIT-H represents a giant leap-frog by Indian technology companies, whose USP mostly has been low-cost services.

To be built with Rs 20 crore investment, KCIS will have a distinct identity within IIIT, Hyderabad and come up at 60,000 sqft of built up area. Explaining the rationale behind picking up Hyderabad for this centre, Tata Group chairman Cyrus Mistry said the city is a technology hub and it is an apt place to host this legacy institute. The city already has premier education institutions under several disciplines like ISB, IIIT-H, IIT, BITS, Nalsar, and Nift.

Commending the Tata Group’s support to the newly-created state of Telangana, IT minister K.T. Rama Rao asked TCS and IIIT-H to focus on applied innovation, which could be put to commercial or social use.