The Andhra Pradesh government is set to partner with California-based tech company NVIDIA to establish an Artificial Intelligence (AI) university in the state. A Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) formalising the collaboration was signed on June 6. This initiative follows a meeting between state IT Electronics & Communication Minister Nara Lokesh and NVIDIA CEO Jenson Huang in Mumbai in October last year.
According to reports, NVIDIA will provide the latest tools, software, and hardware capabilities to the university. The partnership also aims to bring in advanced facilities at the proposed university, reports say.
Additionally, Chief Minister Chandrababu Naidu announced that with support from NVIDIA,10,000 engineering students will receive skill training over the next two years. He also added that 500 AI startups from Andhra Pradesh will gain access to NVIDIA’s Inception Programme. The programme is tailored for startups and includes technical tools and training for AI developers.
Further, the company will provide curriculum guidance and technical training resources to engineering colleges across the state in order to support AI education and capacity building in.
Reacting to the announcement, Nara Lokesh told media persons,“This partnership with NVIDIA is a decisive step in our vision to position Andhra Pradesh as a national leader in AI. By training 10,000 students with cutting-edge AI skills and supporting startups, we are building the foundation for a future for our economy driven with innovation, entrepreneurship and research.”
Vishal Dhupar, NVIDIA’s managing director for South Asia said in a media statement that, “We are proud to work with the Andhra Pradesh government to create a strong AI ecosystem. This initiative reflects our commitment to democratising access to AI education, accelerating research, and enabling startups to innovate at scale.”