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MeitY Launches AI Centre of Excellence in Keralam, Selects 15 Startups

The centre will focus on AI research, skilling, startups and industry collaboration under the IndiaAI Mission.

October 1, 2026 05:39 PM IST | Written by Supriya Singh | Edited by Pratima O Pareek

The Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY) has established the IndiaAI Centre of Excellence in Artificial Intelligence in Thiruvananthapuram (CAIK), Keralam, under the IndiaAI Mission.

“AI is going to have a great impact on our society. It can bring significant changes to the way we live and work,” said P K Kunhalikutty, Minister for Industries, IT & AI, while speaking at the launch on Wednesday.

Kunhalikutty also said the state government had discussed a new AI initiative at the Cabinet meeting held on Wednesday, which received wide acceptance. He said the government would work with Digital University Kerala (DUK) to strengthen the state’s AI ecosystem.

CAIK will brings together the government, academia and industry, with a focus on AI research, innovation and commercialization. Digital University Kerala is the implementing agency, while Innovation Incubator Advisory is the industry partner.

The centre will work across six areas: startups and entrepreneurship, fellowships, AI skilling and talent, applied AI and research, government and public systems, and industry collaboration. It is designed to connect AI research and experimentation with practical applications.

Following the launch, selection letters were handed over to 15 startups under the initiative. CAIK has structured its startup programmes around three stages: pre-incubation, incubation and acceleration.

The startups are developing AI solutions across healthcare, financial services, legal intelligence, enterprise and government document management, agriculture, food safety and waste reduction, early-warning systems, industrial applications and intelligent vision systems.

Earlier in April, the Delhi government announced plans to establish two AI Centres of Excellence under the IndiaAI Mission. The proposed centres are planned at Netaji Subhas University of Technology and Guru Gobind Singh Indraprastha University.

The Indian government has identified 20 indigenous sovereign AI model proposals for support and approved plans to establish 58 artificial intelligence (AI) Centres of Excellence across states and Union territories.

Also Read: India’s Vigyanlabs Bets on Air Cooling for Sovereign AI Infrastructure with FEMTO

Authors

Supriya Singh
Supriya Singh is a Reporter at AI FrontPage covering the AI & Education and AI & Jobs beats. She brings six years of print and digital experience, including three years at The Asian Age, where she reported on higher education, Delhi government, and crime. She is based in Delhi-NCR.
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Pratima O Pareek
Pratima O Pareek is an Editor and Co-Founder of AI FrontPage. A gold medalist in Mass Communication and Journalism, she's worked across national and international newsrooms, bringing sharp editorial instincts and a commitment to clarity. She believes in cutting through the noise to deliver stories that actually matter.
Off the clock, she watches offbeat cinema, follows tennis, and explores new places like a traveler, not a tourist.
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