Intel in pact with India to boost AI education, innovation

American chip manufacturer Intel Corporation (NASDAQ: INTC) has entered into a strategic partnership with the IndiaAI Mission, an initiative spearheaded by the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY). This collaboration aims to foster artificial intelligence (AI) capabilities across various sectors in India by equipping students, startups, and government officials with essential AI skills.

As part of the initiative, Intel will contribute to nurturing talent in both school and college environments while also offering crucial mentorship and technological resources to early-stage AI ventures. A significant component of this partnership includes the introduction of AI-powered personal computers into classrooms, helping expand access to India’s multilingual AI platforms, ensuring widespread AI literacy, and supporting the integration of AI technologies within public services.

The agreement follows the Indian government’s March 2024 announcement of a ₹10,000 crore (approximately $1.24 billion) investment to accelerate the nation’s AI infrastructure and entrepreneurial ecosystem development. The IndiaAI Mission will be carried out under a public-private partnership framework, emphasizing the creation of advanced computing facilities and improving access to capital for AI-focused startups.

One of the mission’s key goals is to strengthen India’s position as a global leader in AI while promoting ethical and responsible AI use. A significant step toward this objective involves procuring over 10,000 graphics processing units (GPUs), which will enhance the country’s computational power and support the growth of a robust AI ecosystem.

These initiatives are aligned with India’s broader digital ambitions. By the fiscal year 2027–2028, the country is projected to achieve a $1 trillion digital economy, with AI expected to play a pivotal role in that transformation.

“India’s greatest asset in the AI revolution isn’t just our data, or our technology–it’s our people. At Intel, we’re committed to developing India’s human capital and breaking down access barriers,” said Santhosh Viswanathan, Intel’s India managing director.

“We look forward to supporting the IndiaAI Mission in nurturing India’s AI Innovation ecosystem,” he added.

India is proactively forming strategic alliances to build a future-ready workforce in response to the twin forces of rapid technological advancement and ongoing economic transformation. Earlier this year, the Ministry of Skill Development and Entrepreneurship (MSDE) launched a significant initiative in collaboration with the World Economic Forum (WEF), unveiling the “India Skills Accelerator” program. This initiative is designed to upgrade the country’s talent base in line with emerging global demands.

In a separate effort to promote gender inclusivity in technology, MSDE joined hands with Microsoft (NASDAQ: MSFT) to introduce the ‘AI Careers for Women’ initiative. This program targets female students in higher education, equipping them with the tools and knowledge needed to pursue professional paths in artificial intelligence—a sector poised to shape the future of work.

In light of these challenges, India’s focus on skill development and inclusive AI education reflects a broader strategy to mitigate the risks of technological disruption while ensuring that its workforce remains competitive in a fast-changing global landscape.

With Intel, India has launched a broad-based AI initiative aimed at building a robust and inclusive AI ecosystem. This national-level partnership is designed to expand access to computing resources, enhance the quality and availability of data, foster homegrown AI innovation, attract world-class talent, and support startups through funding and industry mentorship. The ultimate goal is to ensure that AI-driven growth reaches all segments of Indian society.

Under this collaboration, Intel and the IndiaAI Mission will work together on four core programs. These initiatives focus on enhancing employability through AI skill development for both school and university students, providing emerging startups with vital technological and business mentorship, facilitating structured dialogues with public sector leaders to guide effective AI governance, and extending the reach of Bhashini—a government-backed multilingual language technology platform—to remote classrooms via AI-powered personal computers.

One key program, YuvaAI, is an extension of Intel’s global AI for Youth initiative and is focused on helping school students design AI projects with meaningful social impact. Another, StartupAI, is tailored to support early-stage companies with hands-on access to tools, expert guidance, and go-to-market strategies.

Meanwhile, “IndiaAI Dialogues” aims to empower policymakers and public sector stakeholders with insights and frameworks to guide responsible AI deployment in governance. In addition, the collaboration prioritizes scaling Bhashini’s language capabilities to underserved regions, ensuring that students in rural and remote areas can benefit from AI-based learning solutions in their native languages.

To further support these efforts, a new AI and data science laboratory will be established to train young individuals in advanced computing and analytical skills—equipping the next generation to thrive in a tech-driven future.

Together, these efforts underscore India’s commitment to developing an ethical, inclusive, and globally competitive AI environment that serves both social and economic goals.

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