NASSCOM launches Centre of Excellence for Data Science and AI

In line with the government's National Strategy for AI, NASSCOM will facilitate collaboration between NITI Aayog and CoEs and will include NITI Aayog as a knowledge partner.

The National Association of Software and Services Companies (NASSCOM), today launched the Centre of Excellence for Data Science and Artificial Intelligence (CoE – DSAI), in Bengaluru, in partnership with the Government of Karnataka.

NASSCOM also signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Niti Aayog to collaboratively foster applied research, accelerating adoption and ethics, privacy and security.

The CoE and MoU aim to strengthen the country's AI ecosystem and serve as a platform serve as a platform for intelligence-sharing and technology collaboration between stakeholders to build collective capabilities for the industry and country in the cutting-edge areas artificial intelligence.

In line with the government's National Strategy for AI, NASSCOM will facilitate collaboration between NITI Aayog and CoEs and will include NITI Aayog as a knowledge partner.

The CoE-DSAI initiative aims to support SMBs, by fast-tracking their product development, provide market access to enterprises and assist them by co-creating programs along with other industry partners and start-ups to solve complex and real-world business problems.

"The vision behind the CoE is to act as a catalyst for developing the emerging technology startup ecosystem of the country as well as an accelerator of Data Science capabilities providing the concept and scale for industrial and societal needs. The CoE will also function as an enabler of funding, accelerating, mentoring and enterprise for the key emerging AI startups in the country," said Ms. Debjani Ghosh, President, NASSCOM.

"Government of Karnataka aims to transform Karnataka's economy leading the change through innovation; focusing on technology, productivity, healthy enterprises and better citizen services; while building robust and versatile technology capabilities, spearheading the way to new business opportunities," said Mr. KJ George, Hon'ble Minister Large & Medium ScaleIndustries, IT and BT, Science & Technology, Government of Karnataka, while speaking at the launch.

The CoE will work with Government and Enterprises to make available large data-sets for training model, create a technology platform (Cloud + On-Premise) and also collaborate with universities to develop and provide access to right skill & talent alongside showcasing these emerging businesses across various NASSCOM platforms. The initiative will develop a platform for stakeholders ranging from industry to academia to co-create digital solutions for Industry 4.0.