Chief Minister of Gujarat, Bhupendra Patel, has proudly inaugurated the state-of-the-art Artificial Intelligence (AI) Center of Excellence at GIFT City in Gandhinagar on 27th January 2025. This bold initiative has firmly established Gujarat as a pioneer of technological innovation.
This groundbreaking center, developed in partnership with the tech giant Microsoft, is poised to ignite a revolution in AI, promoting cutting-edge advancements and catalyzing digital transformation across diverse sectors within the state.
The establishment of this center marks a pivotal step towards positioning Gujarat at the forefront of the global technology landscape, setting the stage for a future defined by innovation and progress.
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About the event
On January 27, 2025, during the inauguration of the Artificial Intelligence Center of Excellence at GIFT City, the Chief Minister delivered a speech where he expressed his belief about this center as a significant AI think tank in Gujarat.
This center has been made possible by the MoU signed between the State Government's Science and Technology Department and Microsoft in June 2024 for the establishment of the Artificial Intelligence (AI) Center of Excellence at GIFT City. This center will use key technologies such as machine learning, cognitive services, and chatbot services.
Successful pilot projects of these technologies in various fields will be launched, and training programs will be conducted. The Artificial Intelligence (AI) Centre will provide efficient and timely services to the citizens, innovate at the grassroots level, and quicken technological advancement in areas such as production, health, and education while offering vast cooperation to both the government and industry.
The CM said that the Prime Minister's policy of 'Je Kahevu Te Karvu'- (delivering on promises) was shown by the center being made operational in just 7 months.
The Innovation Challenge was introduced by the Chief Minister concurrently with the opening of this Center of Excellence. He gave out ten awards to MSMEs and startups for their early adoption of cutting-edge AI and IoT-led technologies.
The nation's first financial tech metropolis, "GIFT City," is undergoing constant innovation as a result of Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi's forward-thinking objectives. CM said.
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The Chief Minister further stated that the establishment of the AI Center of Excellence is a significant step in establishing Gujarat as a center for technology-driven growth and artificial intelligence.
The chief minister also gave a briefing on how Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi's motivational catchphrase, "Yahi Samay Hai, Sahi Samay Hai" (This is the right time), will inspire young people to continue leading the way in global competition with a creative, technology-driven strategy, enabling them to reach their full potential.
The Chief Minister added that the AI Center of Excellence was established in a relatively short time after the Innovation Hub at GIFT City was launched. This center will help close the knowledge gap in the AI technology sector by serving as a crucial link between startups and industries.
The chief minister had faith that an ecosystem would bring professionals, experts, and startups together to create new solutions on a common platform.
He added that Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi has pledged to make sure AI technology is available to all citizens, in line with the principle of "Sauno Saath, Sauno Vikas" and moving forward with the motto "AI for All."
Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi, who sees AI as a major force behind an "Aspirational India," has launched the India AI Mission to accomplish this goal, opening up new prospects for the country's young talent pool, the Chief Minister continued.
The Gujarat government established the Gujarat AI Task Force to use AI to address issues in industry, education, health, and agriculture while promoting good governance, the Chief Minister added.
Chief Secretary Shri Raj Kumar took this opportunity to say that Gujarat is proud of the establishment of the AI Center of Excellence today. When it comes to implementing AI technology in a variety of industries, Gujarat has become the nation's leading and guiding state.
"The introduction of the internet as a new technology led to increased digitization during the decade of 1990 to 2000, putting the entire world at our fingertips," he added. Similar to this, the state administration has established a solid basis for "A Viksit Gujarat through Viksit Bharat" in the modern era by embracing AI as a cutting-edge technology.
He claimed that Gujarat is already well-known as a manufacturing center in the nation when it comes to AI technology. Gujarat will also become a center for AI technology in the upcoming years. Any government or organization can double its capabilities using AI, which will accelerate the development of the nation and the organization. Gujarat will, therefore, aggressively advance AI technology in industry and all other fields going forward.
The Rise of GIFT City: Transforming Gujarat into a Global Financial Hub
A Center of Excellence has been formed at IIT Gandhinagar in Gujarat, according to Shri Abhishek Singh, Mission Director of the AI Mission and Additional Secretary of the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology, Government of India. This center has assisted almost 300 startups and helped over 1,000 small and medium-sized businesses (SMEs) employ AI in manufacturing. He added that Gujarat has become a key state in spearheading a revolution in semiconductor technology through the India AI Mission and the Semiconductor Mission.
Shri Tapan Ray, the managing director, and chief executive officer of GIFT City, outlined the city's vision and infrastructure, noting that many top national and international businesses are active in industries like banking, insurance, market research, fintech, finance, leasing aircraft, and AI data centers. "The 'AI Center of Excellence,' which was established today in partnership with the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology, Government of India, Government of Gujarat, and international AI companies, greatly reinforces GIFT City's vision," he added.
The Innovation Challenge and the Center of Excellence were launched with the goal of offering AI-based real-time solutions to address a variety of real-world issues faced by industries throughout the nation, including Gujarat, with an emphasis on startups, according to Dr. Rohini Srivathsa, CEO of Microsoft India and South Asia.
According to Shri Ashank Desai, co-founder of NASSCOM and chairman of Mastek, artificial intelligence is more than simply a technology; it is a force that is revolutionizing the economy as a whole. Even while AI has been around for a while, advances in processing power and contemporary software have made it much more widely used in the last five to six years.
Smt. Mona Khandhar, the principal secretary of the Gujarat government's Department of Science and Technology, welcomed everyone and thanked everyone for their contributions to the success of the "AI Center of Excellence" initiative at the beginning of the program.
Startups presented at the inauguration ceremony on subjects like using AI to help patients in the healthcare industry, evaluating grain quality, influencing the direction of financial services, and facilitating easy digital payments for astute investment plans.
The Chief Minister also went to the Experience Zone, which showcased the use of AI in the fields of agriculture and health.
The use of AI in the age of digital transformation, AI chatbots for the Digital Gujarat platform under the Innovation Spotlight, and the development of an AI ecosystem for startups, industry, and academia were among the themes covered by the event's expert speakers.
Along with representatives and staff from the federal and state governments of Gujarat, as well as businesspeople and industrialists from a variety of industries, the event was attended by Shri Tushar Bhatt, Managing Director of Gujarat Informatics Ltd., and Shri Lalit Narayan Singh Sandu, Project Director of the Samagra Shiksha Abhiyan.
