IBM announced the signing of 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, Shri 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.”
“In the last 18-19 months, we have made tremendous progress towards PM Modi’s vision of India becoming a trusted player in the global electronics and semiconductor value chains. Our partnership with IBM will significantly expand the footprint of semiconductor innovation and startups in India. IBM will help us in semiconductor research and address the issue of creating talent in semiconductors. We are also in early talks with IBM to add to our indigenous microprocessor strategy of our DIR-V and RISC-V processor,” he added.
“This collaboration reinforces our commitment to be the trusted partner for India in enhancing its innovation capabilities. Supporting the government’s efforts in building infrastructure, enhancing human capital and knowledge creation in these three areas of technology will be integral to India’s digital transformation and economic growth,” said Sandip Patel, Managing Director, IBM India & South Asia.
The plans under which IBM would work with IndiaAI, ISM and C-DAC to focus on skills development, engaging the ecosystems and accelerating R&D efforts in semiconductors, AI, and quantum are envisioned to advance and accelerate India’s innovation in these areas.