Maharashtra Slated to Establish India's First AI University

Maharashtra is set to establish the first Artificial Intelligence (AI) university in the country and a task force has been formed for the planning and implementation of the project, state Information Technology Minister Ashish Shelar has said.

The university will promote research and development in AI and related fields and will be a centre of excellence, encouraging collaboration between the industry, academia and government, Shelar said on Saturday evening. The task force includes experts from the academia, industry and government.

It will work on creating an institution focused on AI education, research and innovation. This initiative aligns with the BJP’s election manifesto, which had highlighted the use of technology for development, Shelar said.

“The university will promote research and development in AI and related fields. It will also focus on skill development, technological innovation and policy formulation. The aim is to make Maharashtra a centre for AI education and innovation,” he said.

The task force will be chaired by the Information Technology department’s principal secretary. It includes directors of the IIT Mumbai and IIM Mumbai, representatives from organisations like Google India, Mahindra Group, and L&T, and officials from the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology, Government of India.