NITI Aayog, Google in partnership to grow AI ecosystem in India

NITI Aayog is partnering with tech giant Google to work on a range of initiatives to help build Artificial Intelligence (AI) ecosystem across the country. Amitabh Kant, Chief Executive Officer, NITI Aayog, said in a statement: "India is embracing future technologies such as machine learning and AI to augment its capacity in healthcare, improve outcomes in education, develop innovative governance systems and improve overall economic productivity of the nation." "NITI's partnership with Google will unlock massive training initiatives, support start-ups and encourage AI research through Ph D scholarships, all of which contribute to the larger idea of a technologically-empowered New India," he added. Google and NITI Aayog will conduct hands-on training programmes that aim to sensitise policymakers and technical experts in governments about relevant AI tools and how they can be used to streamline governance. To help bolster the research ecosystem, one of the initiatives includes funding Indian researchers, scholars and university faculty for conducting AI-based research.