The Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY) and IndiaAI have launched a new Centre of Excellence titled “AI for Viksit Bharat” in Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala. The centre will support 15 startups working on artificial intelligence, giving them access to research guidance, computing resources and industry mentors.

The centre has been set up in partnership with the Kerala Startup Mission and Digital University Kerala. Officials said the aim is to turn promising research ideas into working products, especially in areas such as healthcare, agriculture, education and governance.

The selected startups will get incubation support, training programmes and help in connecting with investors. The initiative is part of the broader IndiaAI Mission, which seeks to build a strong AI ecosystem across the country and make advanced tools available to more Indians.

Kerala has been pushing hard to become a technology hub, and the new centre adds to its growing list of research institutions. For the 15 startups chosen in the first batch, the programme could be the bridge between a lab idea and a market-ready product.