Devendra Fadnavis on US, Canada visit: Deal signed to develop AI clusters in Maharashtra

AI application in the home department would help in improved CCTVs and detection of criminals using face detection algorithms, Fadnavis said. (Source: Getty Images)

The Maharashtra government will develop Artificial Intelligence (AI) clusters with foreign partnership, said Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis on Tuesday after he met the Vice Premier of Quebec, Dominique Anglade, to promote AI whose applications, which the CM said, would help in sustainable farming and agriculture in Maharashtra. AI clusters have the potential to create 230 million jobs in the country by 2025, said Fadnavis, who is on a tour to US and Canada.

The state IT department signed a MoU with the Institute for Data Valorisation (IVADO) for setting up an AI accelerator in Maharashtra. The IVADO is an initiative based in Montreal working on setting up IA clusters across countries.

The letter of intent was signed by the two countries. AI Next also signed an agreement with Maharashtra government to set up a joint AI accelerator to promote 50 start-up AI units in Maharashtra.

“IVADO and Applied AI Research Institute… will work together to set up AI clusters in Maharashtra in conjuction with IIT Mumbai,” Fadnavis said.

Explaining the government’s thrust on AI, he said, “Its applications will help us to bring basic services to the doorstep of people. In sectors like healthcare, it can help save millions of lives.”

Exuding confidence on AI generating jobs, he said, “We expect development of AI can generate 230 million jobs in the country by year 2025…”

He said Maharashtra was the first state in the country to come out with a cloud policy enabling the government to shift its operations to cloud and take advanatge of cloud computing. Amongst core areas where the state government wants to put AI to use includes agriculture, health, home, revenue and social justice.

The Chief Minister said, “AI in agriculture will help farmers to intensify and maximise sowing to reap higher dividends. From crop patterns to soil health, land topography, satellite or drone images would equip farmers with assured agriculture practices.”

AI application in the home department would help in improved CCTVs and detection of criminals using face detection algorithms, he said.

AI will also prove fruitful in checking tax evasion and fraud. In the field of social justice, tackling problems related to disabilities, speech synthesis and transcription for deaf are amongst aspects where AI will be explored, he said.