India, China launch first joint projects in Big Data, AI

India and China have launched their first joint projects in the fields of Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Big Data. An AI-focused IT corridor was on Saturday launched by both countries in the northeastern Chinese city of Dalian, while on Sunday, a big data-focused IT cooperation platform was opened in the southwestern city of Guiyang. The two projects, backed by the Chinese government and India's National Association for Software and Services Companies (NASSCOM), are aimed at boosting cooperation between Indian software companies and Chinese firms in high-tech manufacturing in big data and Internet of Things projects. India has sought greater market access for IT companies in China, and the hope is that the two new initiatives will further open the door. The idea is to "help in bringing together the IT requirements of Chinese companies, particularly in Guiyang, with Indian companies which have solutions to offer," Indian envoy to China Gautam Bambawale said on Sunday.