IBM, AICTE launch National AI Lab to boost innovation in higher education

Global technology company IBM, in partnership with the All India Council for Technical Education (AICTE), on Friday announced the establishment of a National AI Lab in New Delhi to strengthen India’s artificial intelligence ecosystem in higher education.

According to a joint statement, the facility will provide students and researchers access to advanced AI tools, cloud infrastructure, and real-world industry datasets. The lab will also support faculty training programmes to help institutions align with the government’s AI Mission.

“This partnership will equip students across India with essential AI skills to prepare them for the jobs of the future,” said Sandip Patil, Managing Director, IBM India & South Asia. AICTE Chairman T. G. Sitharam added that the initiative would “ensure equitable access to world-class AI education for students from Tier 2 and Tier 3 institutions.”

IBM said the collaboration builds on its SkillsBuild platform and aims to train more than 200,000 students over three years. The National AI Lab will serve as a hub for innovation projects, hackathons, and AI-based social impact solutions in fields such as healthcare, agriculture, and education.