IBM to establish research centres, Innovation platform to accelerate AI, semiconductor in India

IBM has partnered with MeitY to establish a world-class national AI Innovation Platform (AIIP) to focus on AI training, ecosystem development, and integrating advanced foundation models and generative AI capabilities with access to the IBM watsonx AI and data platform.

IBM has signed three memoranda of understanding (MoUs) with three entities engaged with the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY) to advance and accelerate innovation in AI, semiconductor and quantum technology for India. This body of work will aim to accelerate India’s comprehensive national strategy for AI, strengthen efforts to be self-reliant in semiconductors and advance its National Quantum Mission.

These MoUs will help MeitY access IBM’s expertise to build and advance India’s competency and scale its growth mission in the AI, semiconductor and quantum industries. The activities are intended to focus on the following:

IBM and IndiaAI - Digital India Corporation intend to collaborate to establish a world-class national AI Innovation Platform (AIIP) for India that will focus on AI skilling, ecosystem development, and integrating advanced foundation models and generative AI capabilities to support India’s scientific, commercial, and human-capital development in this technology. AIIP will serve as an accelerator for incubation and competency development in AI technologies and their applications for use cases of national importance. AIIP would have access to relevant capabilities of IBM’s watsonx platform including the ability to use models in language, code and geospatial science with the intent to train models for other domains as needed.

IBM would be a knowledge partner of India Semiconductor Mission (ISM) for a semiconductor research center. IBM may share its experience with ISM on intellectual property, tools, initiatives, and skills development, aimed at promoting innovation in semiconductor technologies such as logic, advanced packaging and heterogeneous integration, and advanced chip design technologies, using modernized infrastructure. 

IBM and Centre for Development of Advanced Computing (C-DAC) will also explore opportunities for working together to support the advancement of India’s National Quantum Mission by building competency in quantum computing technology, applications in areas of national interest, and a skilled quantum workforce. Activities would broadly focus on: workforce enablement; development of industries and startups; R&D; and quantum services and infrastructure.

Speaking on the collaboration, Union Minister of State for Skill Development & Entrepreneurship and Electronics & IT Rajeev Chandrasekhar said, “Semiconductors, AI, and Quantum, these three technologies will transform the future in the coming years. They represent tremendous opportunities for our academic institutions, startups, and innovation ecosystem. The broader opportunity lies in creating a global standard talent pool in India, capable of taking advantage of the opportunities in quantum computing, AI, and semiconductors. Congratulations to IBM and thank you for your partnership with the Ministry. I am glad that in such a short time that the Ministry, IBM and the Government of India have come together and have entered into these MoUs that are certainly part of PM Modi’s vision.”

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