IIT Bombay, Columbia Launch AI Center for Manufacturing

• IIT Bombay and Columbia University establish Center of AI for manufacturing collaboration.
• Initiative focuses on scalable, human-centric AI solutions for industrial manufacturing challenges.
• Center aims to strengthen innovation, MSMEs, startups, and global research partnerships.

The Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Bombay and Columbia University, USA, have formalised a significant international collaboration to establish the Columbia, IIT Bombay Centre of AI for Manufacturing.

The signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between the two parties occurred in front of Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan which demonstrated the Indian government's commitment to enhance artificial intelligence (AI) research and development in the manufacturing industry.

The new centre will focus on designing scalable, robust and human-centric AI systems tailored to address real-world challenges in modern manufacturing.

The system needs to handle three different problems which include connecting to old machines handling unpredictable data streams and making decisions without delay while supporting workers who speak multiple languages.

By drawing on Columbia’s strengths in foundational AI research and optimisation techniques and IIT Bombay’s expertise in process engineering and industrial applications the centre aims to create open and interoperable industrial AI infrastructure which can support various manufacturing domains.

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The IIT Bombay Director Prof. Shireesh Kedare states that this initiative will transform India's manufacturing ecosystem through its three main objectives which include modernizing industrial operations and providing support to micro small and medium enterprises and developing future-ready workforce skills.

The center plans to work with various industry partners to create stronger connections between academic research and the practical needs of the industrial sector.

The centre will conduct research work across multiple fields which include semiconductors, robotics, industrial manufacturing, pharmaceuticals, food processing, petrochemicals construction, infrastructure and logistics.

The initiative will provide applied research and customized AI solutions while creating foundational public datasets and models and interfaces which will enable wider access to these resources for innovation in India manufacturing sector.