Delhi seeks Centre’s support to set up two AI Centres of Excellence

The Delhi government has proposed that the two Centres of Excellence be established at Netaji Subhas University of Technology and Guru Gobind Singh Indraprastha University

The Delhi government has submitted a proposal to the Centre seeking financial support to establish two Centres of Excellence (CoEs) for artificial intelligence (AI) in the national capital, officials said on Thursday. The proposal was sent last week as part of the city’s broader push to strengthen its technology ecosystem.

The proposed CoEs are expected to foster collaboration across academia and industry, nurture startups and create solutions tailored to governance and urban challenges. (Reuters/Representational image)

Officials said the proposed AI centres will form a key pillar of Delhi’s upcoming Information Technology policy, which is currently being formulated. The policy aims to position the capital as a hub for innovation-driven growth, with artificial intelligence identified as a priority sector.

The move comes after the Centre, in January this year, invited states to submit proposals for setting up AI-focused centres. The initiative aligns with the ₹10,371.92-crore IndiaAI Mission approved last year to accelerate the country’s ambition of becoming a global artificial intelligence hub. The mission focuses on developing indigenous large language models, building robust AI computing infrastructure and upskilling the workforce.

According to officials, the Delhi government has proposed that the two Centres of Excellence be established at Netaji Subhas University of Technology and Guru Gobind Singh Indraprastha University. Both universities have been consulted and have agreed to provide campus space for setting up the facilities.

The government is also holding discussions with premier institutions such as IIT Delhi and IIT Kanpur, while exploring partnerships with private sector players.

“The centres are envisaged as platforms to promote advanced research in artificial intelligence by bringing together students, researchers, academic institutions and industry. The idea is to encourage innovation, support applied research and ensure that academic work translates into real-world solutions,” an official said.

The proposed CoEs are expected to foster collaboration across academia and industry, nurture startups and create solutions tailored to governance and urban challenges. If approved, they could significantly boost Delhi’s ambition to emerge as a leading AI innovation hub in the country, the official added.

Officials said they have also studied models adopted by other states to leverage artificial intelligence. As part of this exercise, they visited Andhra Pradesh. Google has announced plans to invest $15 billion over the next five years to build data centre capacity to support an artificial intelligence hub in the state.