JAMMU, Aug 7: The Chief Minister of Jammu & Kashmir today launched the J&K Artificial Intelligence Centre of Excellence (AI CoE) and dedicated Project Phoenix, a digital commerce platform, to the people of Jammu & Kashmir at the Indian Institute of Technology Jammu.
The initiatives aim to strengthen technology-driven governance, promote innovation and entrepreneurship, and expand economic opportunities across Jammu & Kashmir through the adoption of emerging technologies and greater digital market access.
The launch was held in the presence of Prof. Manoj Singh Gaur, Director, IIT Jammu; Dheeraj Gupta, Additional Chief Secretary to the Chief Minister of J&K; and Saurabh Bhagat, Administrative Secretary, Information Technology Department, Government of Jammu & Kashmir, along with other dignitaries and stakeholders.
Addressing the gathering, the Chief Minister highlighted the importance of harnessing emerging technologies to improve governance and public service delivery while creating meaningful opportunities for local entrepreneurs, artisans and enterprises.
“Artificial Intelligence must ultimately translate into better outcomes for people. The Centre of Excellence at IIT Jammu will enable us to harness technology for more efficient, responsive and citizen-centric governance, while Project Phoenix will create new avenues for our artisans, self-help groups, startups and MSMEs to access wider markets. Together, these initiatives represent our commitment to using technology for inclusive growth and creating greater opportunities for the people of Jammu & Kashmir,” the Chief Minister said.
The J&K Artificial Intelligence Centre of Excellence, established at IIT Jammu with the support of the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY), Government of India, and the Information Technology Department, Government of Jammu & Kashmir, will serve as a hub for AI research, benchmarking, solution evaluation, technology customisation and deployment support.
The Centre will collaborate with government departments, academic institutions, startups and industry partners to develop and deploy AI-enabled solutions addressing real-world challenges in areas such as education, healthcare, agriculture, infrastructure, disaster management, governance and citizen services.
Speaking on the occasion, Prof. Manoj Singh Gaur, Director, IIT Jammu, reaffirmed the Institute’s commitment to translating research and emerging technologies into solutions that contribute meaningfully to regional and national development.
“At IIT Jammu, our endeavour is to ensure that research and emerging technologies translate into solutions with tangible societal impact. Through the AI Centre of Excellence, we look forward to working closely with the Government, industry, startups and academia to develop, evaluate and deploy AI solutions for real-world challenges. Project Phoenix further complements this vision by leveraging technology to strengthen entrepreneurship and expand market opportunities for local producers and enterprises,” Prof. Gaur said.
The Chief Minister also dedicated Project Phoenix to the people of Jammu & Kashmir. The digital commerce platform has been designed to connect artisans, self-help groups, cooperatives, startups, brands and MSMEs from Jammu, Kashmir and Ladakh with wider national and global markets.
The platform will simplify digital onboarding, product listing, discovery and market access. Its future-ready architecture will progressively integrate AI-enabled features, including multilingual interfaces, intelligent search, automated cataloguing, translation, customer support and business analytics, helping participating enterprises strengthen their digital presence and reach new customers.
The launch of the J&K AI Centre of Excellence and Project Phoenix marks an important step towards building a knowledge-driven and innovation-led ecosystem that brings together government, academia, industry, startups and entrepreneurs to address real-world challenges while promoting inclusive and sustainable economic growth.
IIT Jammu has invited startups, MSMEs, artisans, self-help groups, cooperatives and brands from Jammu, Kashmir and Ladakh to register with Project Phoenix and bring their products to wider digital markets.