Microsoft Partners With Govt To Establish AI Centre of Excellence
New Delhi: Software giant Microsoft on Wednesday announced partnership with the Indian government to establish artificial intelligence (AI) centre of excellence, involving many organisations in core sectors such as transport, healthcare, finance, agriculture and education. The company also said that it would train over 500,000 Indians, including students, educators, developers, government officials, and women entrepreneurs, on using AI tools by next year. This announcement comes a day after Microsoft announced plans to invest $3 billion in India and establish data centres over the next two years.
As per an IDC study, commissioned by Microsoft, the rate of AI adoption in India has grown by 12 per cent to 72 per cent in 2024. “The most exciting part about even coming to India is the diffusion rate and adoption rates which are much faster. There’s not much of a distinction. I can be in Seattle or Palo Alto or I can be in Delhi or Bengaluru, it’s not that different in terms of how people are talking about and applying it (AI),” Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella said during his presentation in the national capital.
He also inked Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) as part of the India AI initiative led by the Union ministry of electronics and information technology. Besides, Nadella also offered an overview of Microsoft’s three central AI platforms -- Copilot, Copilot & AI stack, and Copilot Devices -- and what they entail for Indian businesses. As part of the arrangement, the company also said that it will set up AI productivity labs in 20 National Skill Training Institutes (NSTIs)/NIELIT centres across 10 states to offer AI learning courses.
Meanwhile, the ministry of telecommunications also said in a statement that AI Touch LLP has been awarded funding under the TTDF scheme of department of telecommunications (DoT) of USOF (now “Digital Bharat Nidhi”) and AI Touch will develop components for disaggregated 5G RAN (Radio Access Network) including RAN Intelligent Controller (RIC), Service Management and Orchestration (SMO), and Network Data Analytics Function (NWDAF) modules.
The project is expected to deliver solutions that reduce operational complexities, improve cost efficiency for mobile network operators (MNOs), and support new applications in the telecom sector. “It aims to contribute to the development of an indigenous 5G ecosystem and lay the groundwork for future advancements. The project will facilitate intelligent and automated control of RAN and core nodes through AI/ML-based applications and closed-loop automation,” the ministry said.
Speaking at the contract signing ceremony, Dr Rajkumar Upadhyay, CEO, C-DOT, stated that C-DOT, as the implementation partner, would ensure that the project adheres to the highest standards of technological development.
“Through the TTDF scheme, we are fostering innovation in India’s telecom sector. This project by AI Touch will not only drive AI-driven advancements but also lay the foundation for a self-reliant 5G ecosystem,” Dr Parag Agarwal, DDG of TTDF, stated.
Amit Gupta, Partner at AI Touch, also said that at AI Touch, our focus is on leveraging AI and ML to create advanced analytics and intelligent models.
