Kerala to set up Rs 40 crore twin AI Centres with Centre's support
Thiruvananthapuram, May 21
Kerala on Thursday announced the establishment of two Artificial Intelligence Centres of Excellence, in partnership with the IndiaAI Mission under the Union Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology, as part of a major push to position itself as a national AI hub.
The twin projects, a specialised Bio-AI Centre in Kochi and a general-purpose AI-CoE in Thiruvananthapuram, will together attract an investment of Rs 40 crore and are expected to anchor Kerala's next phase of technology-led growth, focusing on research, startup incubation and commercial innovation.
The Bio-AI Centre of Excellence, to be implemented by Kerala Startup Mission at the Digital Hub in Kochi, seeks to combine Kerala's biodiversity wealth, Ayurvedic legacy and genomics capabilities with advanced AI infrastructure.
Powered by the Tejaswi supercomputer at Cochin University of Science and Technology and supported by the Kerala Genome Data Centre, the project aims to incubate 48 deep tech startups over four years and generate around 600 direct high-value jobs.
The Centre will focus on areas such as AI-driven drug discovery, precision Ayurveda, genomics and agri tech innovation for Kerala's spice sector.
Officials said AI-based tools developed through the initiative are expected to benefit over 40,000 spice farmers while targeting a 20 per cent rise in incomes through predictive analytics, pest management and premium-quality authentication systems.
The Rs 20 crore project follows a 40:40:20 funding model involving the Centre, the State government and an industry consortium.
The second AI-CoE will come up under Digital University Kerala in Thiruvananthapuram with a dedicated 10,000 sq ft facility aimed at bridging AI research and market-ready applications.
The Centre will support startups in commercialisation, skill development and industry collaboration while focusing on AI solutions tailored to Kerala's socio-economic needs.
Launching the initiative, Kerala IT and Industries Minister P.K. Kunhalikutty said the projects marked a landmark moment for the state.
"Kerala is not just participating in India's AI mission; we are helping shape it," he said.
With Kochi and Thiruvananthapuram emerging as twin AI corridors, the state is now positioning itself at the centre of India's rapidly expanding artificial intelligence ecosystem.
— IANS
Reader Comments
Finally some forward-thinking! Genomic data and AI for drug discovery could put Kerala on the global map. But hope they address data privacy concerns – citizen data needs strong safeguards. 👩🔬
Interesting move. But let's also see how this translates on ground. We've seen many tech parks announced with big budgets, but local startups still struggle with basic infrastructure. Hope execution matches ambition.
As someone who works in tech, this is promising. Bio-AI is a niche with huge potential. Kerala's Ayurvedic knowledge + AI could create unique IP. Hope they collaborate with global research institutions too. 🌐
While I appreciate the vision, I wish they focused more on creating jobs for local graduates first. Many Kerala engineers go to Bangalore or abroad. These centres should be talent magnets, not just research labs.
Love the emphasis on spice farmers and agritech! Predictive analytics for pest management could be a game-changer for smallholders. Hope they keep the technology accessible and affordable for rural communities. 🌾🚀
Would be amazing if Kerala becomes a hub for AI startups. But ₹40 crore is still a small budget compared to global AI investments – need sustained funding and industry partnerships to succeed long term. 🤞
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