IIT Bombay and Columbia University, USA, have signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) to establish the Columbia-IIT Bombay Center of AI for Manufacturing, in the presence of Union Minister of Education Dharmendra Pradhan. This collaboration marks a significant step in advancing AI-driven solutions for India's manufacturing sector.
The Ministry of Education has so far initiated four AI centers across India, and this joint research and translation center aims to develop robust, scalable, and human-centric AI systems for real-world manufacturing challenges. Several industry partners are also in the process of joining the initiative.
Professor Shireesh Kedare, Director of IIT Bombay, said, "The Columbia-IIT Bombay Center of AI for Manufacturing is a significant step in strengthening India's manufacturing ecosystem through advanced, human-centric AI. By building open and interoperable industrial AI infrastructure, this initiative will support industry modernization, empower MSMEs, nurture startups, and develop future-ready talent. This partnership reflects our commitment to nation building, positioning India as a global leader in AI-driven manufacturing innovation."
The Center will address a wide spectrum of manufacturing domains, including semiconductors, robotics, industrial manufacturing, pharmaceuticals, food processing, refining and petrochemicals, construction, infrastructure development, and transport and logistics.
By leveraging the complementary strengths of Columbia University and IIT Bombay in areas such as foundational AI, optimization, manufacturing, and process engineering, the Center plans to create end-to-end, interoperable industrial AI infrastructure that tackles shop-floor realities like legacy equipment, noisy data, real-time constraints, and multilingual workforces.
Through collaboration with industry partners, the Center will deliver applied research, customized solutions, talent development, and startup translation, while releasing foundational datasets, models, and interfaces as public goods to strengthen India's diverse manufacturing ecosystem, including MSMEs.