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The All India Council for Technical Education (AICTE) successfully organized the first webinar under its flagship initiative, 2025 - The Year of AI, focusing on the transformative role of Artificial Intelligence in education, research, innovation, and industry.
The event witnessed an overwhelming response, with participation from more than 1,000 AICTE-approved institutions, marking a significant step towards India's AI-driven future. Prof Ajai Chowdhry, the Chief Guest, emphasized the urgent need to shift from a service-oriented economy to a product-driven economy to establish India as a global technology powerhouse. He highlighted that startups will play a pivotal role in this transition, with AI making its biggest impact on the service sector. Stressing the importance of core engineering, he remarked, "We need to bring back core engineering and R&D to design products for India and the world. Developing, designing, and then manufacturing AI-powered solutions is essential for India's technological self-reliance." He also underscored the necessity of ethical AI development to curb its misuse and expressed confidence in India's potential to build home-grown AI models, stating "We have the capability, knowledge, and experience--what we need is high aspiration to create our own ChatGPTs, Large Language Models (LLMs), and other AI-driven innovations." Shweta Khurana emphasized the importance of embedding AI into all courses across disciplines. She highlighted key AI initiatives, including the India AI Data Lab, developed through a collaboration between Intel, NIELIT, and the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology. She stressed the necessity of creating a robust AI ecosystem that nurtures research, skill development, and innovation. AICTE Chairman Prof. T.G. Sitharam unveiled AICTE's ambitious AI roadmap for 2025, reinforcing India's commitment to AI-led transformation in education and industry. He announced that over 1,000 institutions have taken the AI Affirmation Pledge, reaffirming their dedication to integrating AI into their curricula and research initiatives. He highlighted AICTE's existing AI education ecosystem, wherein 3,670 AICTE Approved institutions are offering Diploma, UG, PG & PG certificate programs in AI, Data Science, and Cyber Security courses. Professor Sitharam outlined AICTE's key initiatives for the Year of AI - 2025, announcing that AICTE will establish a State-of-the-Art AI Factory & Experience Centre at its headquarters to promote innovation and hands-on AI learning. This facility will include an advanced AI Lab for cutting-edge research and experimentation, a fully equipped XR Lab for immersive experiences in Virtual Reality (VR), Augmented Reality (AR), and Mixed Reality (MR). He further announced that AICTE will organize a series of thematic AI Hackathons to solve India's pressing challenges using AI, engaging students, startups, researchers, and faculty members. To culminate the Year of AI, AICTE also plans to host the AI MAHAKUMBH, a landmark AI Expo & Conference. This mega-event will bring together students, startups, industry leaders, policymakers, and researchers to celebrate India's AI journey. (ANI)
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