Niti Aayog, Google in AI tie-up

As part of its plans to set out a roadmap for artificial intelligence (AI) in the country, Indian government think-tank Niti Aayog said that it will be working with tech giant Google to develop AI-based solutions aimed at improving the overall economic productivity of the nation. The move is aimed at fostering growth for India's nascent AI and machine learning (ML) ecosystem, said Niti Aayog. Amitabh Kant, Chief Executive Officer, Niti Aayog, said: "Niti's partnership with Google will unlock massive training initiatives, support start-ups and encourage AI research through PhD scholarships, all of which contributes to the larger idea of a technologically-empowered New India." Under the aegis of this programme, Google will train and incubate Indian AI start-ups in an accelerator program. These start-ups will be mentored and coached by Google and its affiliates to enable them to better leverage AI in their respective business models, said a statement from Niti Aayog.