JAMMU, Nov 13: The Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Jammu and NTT DATA, a global leader in digital business and technology services, have announced a strategic collaboration to establish an Artificial Intelligence Centre of Excellence (AI-CoE) at IIT Jammu, aimed at promoting technological innovation, climate resilience and entrepreneurship in Jammu and Kashmir.
The proposed Centre will focus on using Artificial Intelligence and emerging technologies to address regional challenges, strengthen disaster preparedness, develop skilled technology professionals and create new opportunities for research and innovation.
The collaboration will combine IIT Jammu’s academic and research capabilities with NTT DATA’s global technology expertise and industry experience. It will provide students, researchers and faculty members opportunities to work on real-world challenges and develop solutions with applications across Jammu and Kashmir and other parts of the country.
Speaking about the initiative, Prof. Manoj Gaur, Director, IIT Jammu, said the partnership would create an environment where research and innovative ideas could be transformed into practical applications. He said the collaboration would strengthen research commercialisation, technology entrepreneurship and the development of a strong deep-tech ecosystem in the region.
Highlighting the geographical challenges of Jammu and Kashmir, the two institutions will explore applications of AI, geospatial technologies, digital twins, Internet of Things (IoT) and edge computing for flood monitoring, landslide risk assessment, infrastructure planning and emergency response.
Potential applications include developing flood monitoring and early-warning systems for the Tawi and Chenab river basins, besides technology-based solutions for monitoring environmental and disaster-related risks.
The proposed Centre will also explore secure and responsible AI, robotics, computer vision and autonomous systems for infrastructure monitoring, environmental protection and public safety. Research into Indian languages, including Dogri, will also be encouraged to make digital services more accessible and locally relevant.
A major focus of the partnership will be translating research into commercial applications through intellectual property development, technology products and start-ups. The initiative will also provide students and researchers opportunities to participate in industry projects, fellowships, hackathons and practical training in AI, high-performance computing and other emerging technologies.
Avinash Joshi, Executive Managing Director, India, NTT DATA, said the collaboration would help researchers and students transform promising ideas into practical solutions and commercial applications. He expressed confidence that combining local expertise with global technological capabilities would produce solutions relevant to Jammu and Kashmir with wider applications.
The AI-CoE will form part of the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology’s (MeitY) AI Centre of Excellence for Jammu and Kashmir at IIT Jammu. It will also complement the activities of Aarohan – IIT Jammu Innovation Park, which aims to promote translational research, technology commercialisation, entrepreneurship and skill development.
The initiative is expected to strengthen Jammu and Kashmir’s emerging technology ecosystem while positioning IIT Jammu as an important centre for AI-driven research, innovation and climate-resilient development.