India and Meta Join Forces to Advance AI Innovation and Skill Development

I&B Minister Meets Meta's Chief AI Scientist to Discuss AI Opportunities

Meta will support the establishment of the Center for Generative AI Union Information and Broadcasting Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw on Saturday met with Chief AI Scientist of Meta, Yann LeCun to discuss opportunities in the area of artificial intelligence. The minister said in a post on social media X that India's AI Mission has been helpful in advancing robust collaborations among the industry, government, and academia. "Met @ylecun (Yann LeCun) of Meta to discuss Bharat's AI potential. Our AI mission is advancing with strong collaborations among industry, government, and academia: GenAI CoE with IIT Jodhpur and Meta. YuvAI Skilling with AICTE and Meta to train 1,00,000 students on LLM," Vaishanw posted on X. On October 25, IndiaAI and Meta announced the establishment of the Center for Generative AI, Srijan at IIT Jodhpur, along with the launch of the "YuvAi Initiative for Skilling and Capacity Building" in collaboration with the All India Council for Technical Education (AICTE), for the advancement of open source artificial intelligence (AI) in India. The partnership will enable the development of Indigenous AI applications, advance skill development in AI, and boost research capabilities with the aim of contributing to India's AI mission of ensuring tech sovereignty and the vision of building AI solutions that are tailor-made for India. As part of this collaboration, Meta will support the establishment of the Center for Generative AI, Srijan, ("GenAI CoE") at IIT Jodhpur, according to the details shared by Ministry of Electronics and IT. This GenAI CoE aims to advance research and development in AI while fostering the growth of responsible and ethical AI technologies in India. It will support and enhance open science innovation across the AI technology landscape. Through education, capacity building, and policy advisory, the center will be empowering the next generation of researchers, students, and practitioners with the knowledge and tools necessary for the responsible development and deployment of GenAI technologies. Meta, in collaboration with MeitY and the All India Council for Technical Education (AICTE), also launched the "YuvAi initiative for Skilling and Capacity Building" . This program aims to bridge the AI talent gap in the country by empowering 100,000 students and young developers aged 18-30 to leverage open-source large language models (LLMs) to address real-world challenges. It aims to build capacity in generative AI skills, utilizing open-source LLMs while fostering AI innovation across key sectors. Over the next three years, the initiative will train one lakh youth, developers, and entrepreneurs, contributing significantly to India's AI ecosystem across critical sectors such as healthcare, education, agriculture, smart cities, and financial inclusion. This will include the establishment of a Gen AI Resource Hub with courses, case studies, and open datasets; an LLM for Young Developers Course designed by Meta; and Master Training Activation Workshops to introduce participants to foundational AI concepts. The program also features Unleash LLM Hackathons, where students will submit AI solutions to address real-world problems, with top ideas receiving mentoring, seed grants, and market support. Additionally, the AI Innovation Accelerator will identify and support 10 student-led startups experimenting with open-source AI models, offering incubation and visibility.

IndiaAI and Meta Partner to Advance Open-Source AI Innovation, R&D and Skill Development

Focus on responsible and ethical AI technologies to support India's economic growth. IndiaAI and Meta announced the establishment of the Center for Generative AI, Srijan, at IIT Jodhpur last Friday. They also launched the "YuvAi Initiative for Skilling and Capacity Building" in collaboration with the All India Council for Technical Education (AICTE) to advance open-source artificial intelligence (AI) in India. "The partnership will enable the development of indigenous AI applications, advance skill development in AI, boost research capabilities with the aim of contributing to India's AI mission of ensuring tech sovereignty and the vision of building AI solutions that are tailor made for India," Ministry of Electronics and IT said in a statement. Also Read: Everyone in India Can Ask AI Assistants Questions About Health Issues, Says Meta Official: Report As part of this collaboration, Meta will support the establishment of the Center for Generative AI, Srijan (GenAI CoE) at IIT Jodhpur. This GenAI CoE aims to advance research and development in AI while fostering the growth of responsible and ethical AI technologies in India. It will support and enhance open science innovation across the AI technology landscape, the partners said. Through education, capacity building, and policy advisory, the center will empower researchers, students, and practitioners with the knowledge and tools necessary for the responsible development and deployment of GenAI technologies, the official release said. The initiative will support India's goal of becoming a USD 5 trillion economy by equipping the nation's youth to lead in the global AI arena, thereby securing India's position as a leader in technological advancement and economic growth. Collaboration to Drive AI Innovation and Skill Development On this occasion, Shivnath Thukral, Vice President and Head of Public Policy, Meta India said, "By emphasising the importance of open-source AI, Meta is committed to nurturing an ecosystem where indigenous solutions can flourish. Today's partnership is testament to our deep commitment to furthering the advancement of emerging technologies in India, while aligning seamlessly with IndiaAI mission. These initiatives will empower the next generation of innovators and equip them with the tools to address pressing real-world challenges, ultimately propelling India to be at the forefront of global AI advancements." Meta, in collaboration with MeitY and the AICTE, also launched the "YuvAi Initiative for Skilling and Capacity Building." This program aims to bridge the AI talent gap in the country by empowering 100,000 students and young developers aged 18-30 to leverage open-source large language models (LLMs) to address real-world challenges. The initiative aims to build capacity in generative AI skills by utilising open-source LLMs while fostering AI innovation across key sectors. Over the next three years, it will train one lakh youth, developers, and entrepreneurs, contributing significantly to India's AI ecosystem across critical sectors such as healthcare, education, agriculture, smart cities, and financial inclusion. This will include the establishment of a GenAI Resource Hub with courses, case studies, and open datasets; an LLM for Young Developers Course designed by Meta; and Master Training Activation Workshops to introduce participants to foundational AI concepts. The program will also include LLM Hackathons, and the AI Innovation Accelerator will identify and support 10 student-led startups experimenting with open-source AI models. Also Read: Google Announces AI Collaborations for Healthcare, Sustainability, and Agriculture in India Dr Mayank Vatsa, a professor at IIT Jodhpur, stated that Srijan, meaning "creation," will be a leading center for Foundation Models and Generative AI research in India, focusing on innovation with ethical and responsible use. Last year, Meta partnered with IndiaAI to advance AI and emerging technologies in India. Additionally, Meta collaborated with the Ministry of Education to empower students and educators through programs with CBSE and AICTE.

Meta teams up with IndiaAI to advance open source AI innovation, R&D, skill development

New Delhi: Meta on Friday announced a strategic collaboration with 'IndiaAI' at the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY) to drive advancement of open source AI innovation, R&D and skill development in India. This includes the establishment of the Center for Generative AI, Shrijan at IIT Jodhpur and the launch of the 'AI for Skilling and Capacity Building' initiative, in partnership with All India Council for Technical Education (AICTE). The partnership will enable development of indigenous AI applications, and advance skill development in AI. It would also bolster research capabilities with the aim of contributing to India's AI mission of ensuring tech sovereignty and the vision of AI solutions tailor made for India. "Aimed at propelling the advancement of open source artificial intelligence (AI) in India, as part of its Memorandum of Understanding with the 'IndiaAI', Meta today announced a strategic collaboration with IndiaAI at the MeitY," according to a release. IT Secretary, S Krishnan said the initiative will support India's goal of becoming a USD 5 trillion economy by equipping the youth to lead in the global AI arena, and securing India's position as a leader in technological advancement and economic growth. "These initiatives are pivotal in creating a robust ecosystem for groundbreaking research, skill development, and open-source innovation, advancing AI technology while ensuring its responsible and ethical deployment," Krishnan said.

Govt, Meta Team Up To Push For AI Adoption In India

Ministry of Electronics and IT (MeitY) also announced the launch of YuvAi Initiative for Skilling and Capacity Building in collaboration with the All India Council for Technical Education (AICTE) The collaboration is aimed at developing indigenous AI applications, advance skill development in AI and boost research capabilities The Centre for Generative AI at IIT Jodhpur is established to bolster open source innovation across the AI technology landscape