Kerala to host Global AI Summit ahead of IBM making Kochi its hub

On Tuesday, Kerala Industry Minister P Rajeeve and the Department's Principal Secretary Suman Billa chaired a discussion with IBM India to give a big thrust to the state government's efforts to make Kochi the country's pivotal centre for AI-assisted technology.

Ernakulam (Kerala): Giving a big thrust to the Kerala government's efforts to make Kochi the country's pivotal centre for AI-assisted technology, state Industry Minister P Rajeeve and the Department's Principal Secretary Suman Billa on Tuesday held talks with IBM India, resulting in an agreement in principle to start the IT giant's hub in the city.

The state government will host a Global Artificial Intelligence Summit in Kochi in the middle of this year as part of the initiative, Rajeeve said after his discussions with IBM India Senior Vice President (Products) Dinesh Nirmal.

By becoming the AI hub of IBM, Kochi will see an influx of top technology professionals from across the globe, the Minister said, noting that the trend will also imply a reverse migration. This will particularly benefit the new generation in IT. Also, it can double the number of IBM staff vis-a-vis the prevailing total, Rajeeve said.

IBM's making Kochi its AI hub will prompt other players in the industry to follow. Adding to the prospects will be Infopark's entering its second stage of expansion, strengthening the facilities for IBM's initiatives, he said. The proposed Kochi hub will work on the basis of generative AI, beyond just generic AI. Already, IBM is providing AI services to international behemoths such as Boeing. "We are working towards ensuring the participation of Boeing in the upcoming AI Summit, the minister added."

The summit will be organised in association with the state's Department of Industry, Billa said. The IT Parks, Kerala Startup Mission, Digital University and APJ Abdul Kalam Technological University will collaborate with the event. Kerala State Industrial Development Corporation (KSIDC) will make presentations on the preparations to make Kochi the country's principal AI hub.

Keltron CMD N Narayana Moorthy also attended the meeting through videoconferencing. The discussions also saw the government considering the scope of collaboration with Samsung on the manufacturing of semiconductors and chip design.

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