Key Points
- Tamil Nadu allocated two AI Centres of Excellence at Rs 20 crore each
- 162 students from 16 Tamil Nadu institutions awarded IndiaAI fellowships
- 18 Data and AI Labs allocated to ITIs and Polytechnics in the state
Tamil Nadu has been allocated two Artificial Intelligence Centres of Excellence under the IndiaAI Mission with a combined approved cost of Rs 40 crore, but the state government is yet to submit its proposal to access the funds, Parliament was informed last week on Wednesday (12 August).
Minister of State for Electronics and Information Technology Jitin Prasada disclosed this in a written reply to the Lok Sabha, responding to questions from MP Tharaniventhan MS about AI initiatives in the state.
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Each centre carries a unit cost of Rs 20 crore under a collaborative funding model that requires contributions from the Centre, state government and industry partners in a 40:40:20 ratio.
The Centre has approved a framework for establishing 58 AI Centres of Excellence, which are specialised facilities designed to advance AI research and applications, across states and union territories.
These centres will focus on sectors including healthcare, manufacturing, agriculture and logistics while supporting skilled talent development. A communication covering the approved framework has been shared with the Tamil Nadu government, Prasada said.
Fellowship awards for Tamil Nadu
On the question of whether any universities, Indian Institutes of Technology (IITs), research institutions, startups or industry partners in Tamil Nadu have been selected to receive support under the IndiaAI Mission, the minister said that under the IndiaAI Fellowship Programme, 162 students from 16 institutions in Tamil Nadu have received fellowships for AI-related studies.
The breakdown includes 96 undergraduate fellowships, 33 postgraduate fellowships, one integrated dual degree fellowship and 32 doctoral fellowships. Nationally, the programme has awarded 686 fellowships across undergraduate, postgraduate and doctoral programmes in 178 institutions.
The minister also outlined the broader infrastructure being built for AI education in the state. Of 188 additional Data and AI Labs identified for establishment across ITIs and Polytechnics nationwide, 18 have been allocated to similar institutions in Tamil Nadu. Separately, 27 IndiaAI Labs have already been established nationally, supporting training for more than 3,500 students.
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Research initiatives
Replying to the question, whether the government proposes to establish additional AI Centres of Excellence, AI compute infrastructure or AI innovation hubs in Tamil Nadu including Arani Lok Sabha constituency, the Prasada said, two significant AI governance and safety projects involving Tamil Nadu institutions are currently under development.
IIT Madras, in collaboration with IIT Jodhpur, is building Saakshya, a framework for deepfake detection and AI governance. The system uses retrieval-augmented generation, a technique that combines AI models with external data sources to improve accuracy, along with multiple AI agents working together to detect AI-generated synthetic media.
By the numbers
- Rs 40 crore
- Combined allocation for two Tamil Nadu AI-CoEs
- 162
- Tamil Nadu students awarded IndiaAI fellowships
- 18
- Data and AI Labs allocated to Tamil Nadu ITIs
The minister also informed that a separate AI Governance Testing Framework is being developed by Amrita Vishwa Vidyapeetham in collaboration with the Telecommunication Engineering Centre. This framework will evaluate large language models, the AI systems that power tools like ChatGPT, across parameters including traceability, transparency, risk assessment, contextual understanding and knowledge validation.
The IndiaAI Mission operates across seven pillars covering AI models, applications, datasets, talent development, affordable compute access and startup financing. The BuildAI Pitch Event, announced in partnership with the ITEL Foundation of IIT Madras, aims to identify and support AI startups addressing challenges specific to India.
Prasada noted that the government’s AI strategy is build on India’s IT sector, which generates annual revenue of 300 billion dollars and employs 60 lakh workers.
Your Questions, Answered
How many AI Centres of Excellence has Tamil Nadu been allocated?
Tamil Nadu has been allocated two AI Centres of Excellence under the IndiaAI Mission, each with a unit cost of Rs 20 crore. The funding follows a 40:40:20 ratio between the Centre, state government and industry partners.
How many students from Tamil Nadu have received IndiaAI fellowships?
A total of 162 students from 16 institutions in Tamil Nadu have received IndiaAI fellowships. This includes 96 undergraduate, 33 postgraduate, one integrated dual degree and 32 doctoral fellowships.
What AI projects involve IIT Madras under the IndiaAI Mission?
IIT Madras is developing Saakshya, a deepfake detection and AI governance framework in collaboration with IIT Jodhpur. The institute also hosts the ITEL Foundation which partners with IndiaAI Mission for the BuildAI Pitch Event.
How many AI labs are being set up in Tamil Nadu?
Eighteen Data and AI Labs have been allocated to ITIs and Polytechnics in Tamil Nadu out of 188 labs identified nationally for establishment at such institutions.