Gujarat CM Patel holds talks with Google, Perplexity, Micron on AI, data centres

Gujarat govt eyes AI, data centre partnerships as CM holds talks with Google, Perplexity, Micron

Gandhinagar, Aug 19

The meetings, held as part of the state's preparations for the Vibrant Gujarat Summit 2027, covered possible collaborations ranging from AI training and agricultural applications to semiconductor manufacturing, data security and the establishment of engineering, research and development facilities in Gujarat.

During the delegation's visit to Micron, Chairman and CEO Sanjay Mehrotra thanked Patel for approving 20 acres of land for the company's Sanand facility within a day.

He also appreciated the state government's proactive approach towards allowing commercial production at the unit at the earliest.

Patel recalled the inauguration of Micron's semiconductor facility at Sanand by Prime Minister Narendra Modi in February this year and said: "Sanand and Dholera were emerging as important semiconductor centres in Gujarat".

At Google, Vice-President Chandu Thota expressed interest in working with Gujarat on youth skilling and AI training for teachers and students.

Discussions also covered the use of AI in agriculture, including analysing crop patterns and soil and climate data. The discussions further examined the use of Google Workspace Sovereign AI for data security.

Patel and senior state officials discussed the potential areas of collaboration with Thota and other Google executives. The Chief Minister also held a one-to-one meeting with Perplexity AI CEO Aravind Srinivas.

The discussions included the possibility of establishing a Perplexity presence in Gujarat for engineering and research and development.

Srinivas also expressed interest in exploring a data centre in Gujarat or a hybrid arrangement between a developer and Perplexity.

The discussions were part of the state's efforts to attract technology companies and expand its digital infrastructure. The delegation also met members of The Indus Entrepreneurs (TiE) in Silicon Valley.

Established in 1992 by entrepreneurs, corporate executives and senior professionals with roots in the Sindh region, TiE members expressed interest in collaborating with Gujarat in healthcare, training healthcare workers and youth skilling through various AI tools.

The meetings brought together potential collaborations across several areas, including semiconductor manufacturing, artificial intelligence, digital infrastructure, agriculture, education, healthcare and skills development.

Chief Secretary M.K. Das, senior state government secretaries and other members of the Gujarat delegation accompanied Patel during the meetings.

The third day of the visit thus focused on discussions with technology and semiconductor companies as Gujarat sought to build partnerships ahead of the Vibrant Gujarat Summit 2027.

— IANS