On Thursday 8th February, Tech giant Google formed a collaborative partnership with the Maharashtra Government by signing a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) in order to promote creative and innovative solutions with the help of artificial intelligence in key areas such as healthcare, agriculture, education, and entrepreneurship, all while promoting sustainability. During the event, Google also announced the launch of a cutting edge AI Centre of Excellence at the campus of the Indian Institute of Information Technology (IIIT), in Nagpur.
This strategic alliance has been forged with aim to harness the power of AI and steer the state’s development goals forward. The event of the MoU was signed collectively by Sanjay Gupta, the Country Head & Vice President of Google India, followed by Nitin Kareer, the state’s Chief Secretary.
The Deputy Chief Minister of Maharashtra, Devendra Fadnavis was quoted by the Press Trust of India (PTI) stating “A few weeks back, I met Gupta ji and we had a small talk on how AI is affecting our lives and he informed me that their different centres of excellence are creating different platforms and applications which are not only changing the businesses but the lives of people. I told him about the government’s plan to set up a centre of excellence in Nagpur. Here we both thought that this can be a mutually beneficial partnership” .
Key areas of development
At the forefront, Google aims to provide the state with its Agricultural Landscape Understanding (ALU) API, that provides intricate insights about farmland using the cutting-edge tool that leverages remote sensing AI/ML technology. With the support of this data resource, the state can spearhead the creation of pioneering, data-informed agro strategies and initiatives, paving the way for enhanced productivity and sustainability in the fields.
