Gujarat: 37 institutes get Data & AI Labs under IndiaAI Mission
Synopsis
Gujarat is set to receive 37 Data & AI Labs across ITIs and polytechnics, two AI Centres of Excellence, 23 research fellowships, and subsidised GPU computing for GIL and Amul — all under the Centre's ₹10,371.92 crore IndiaAI Mission. The inclusion of Amul, a dairy cooperative, in India's AI compute allocation is among the more unexpected details in an otherwise policy-heavy announcement.
Key Takeaways
37 institutes in Gujarat — 20 ITIs and 17 Polytechnics — identified for Data & AI Labs under the IndiaAI Mission .
Labs will train students in AI, data annotation, data curation , and applied data science under the IndiaAI FutureSkills pillar.
Gujarat allocated two AI Centres of Excellence (AI-CoEs) to support startups, MSMEs , and academic institutions.
23 IndiaAI Fellowships awarded to Gujarat — 4 undergraduate, 12 postgraduate, 7 PhD — for AI research.
Subsidised GPU computing at ₹65 per GPU-hour allocated to Gujarat Informatics Limited (GIL) and Amul .
The IndiaAI Mission , approved on 7 March 2024 , carries a total outlay of ₹10,371.92 crore over five years.
Thirty-seven technical education institutes in Gujarat have been identified for the establishment of Data & AI Labs under the Centre's IndiaAI Mission, with 20 Industrial Training Institutes (ITIs) and 17 Polytechnics selected to strengthen artificial intelligence education and workforce development across the state. The development was disclosed by Minister of State for Electronics and Information Technology, Jitin Prasada, in a written reply to the Rajya Sabha on questions raised by MP Parimal Nathwani.
What the Data & AI Labs Will Offer
The Data & AI Labs will be set up under the IndiaAI FutureSkills pillar of the mission. According to the minister's reply, the labs will provide hands-on training in artificial intelligence, data annotation, data curation, and applied data science. The initiative is designed to equip students at ITI and polytechnic level with industry-relevant AI skills, targeting the creation of a job-ready technical workforce in the state.
AI Centres of Excellence and Research Fellowships
Beyond the labs, Gujarat has been allocated two Artificial Intelligence Centres of Excellence (AI-CoEs) under the IndiaAI Startup Financing pillar. These centres are intended to bolster the state's AI innovation ecosystem and provide focused support to startups, micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs), and academic institutions.
Under the IndiaAI Fellowship programme — also part of the FutureSkills pillar — Gujarat has been awarded 23 fellowships to support AI research. These comprise four undergraduate, 12 postgraduate, and seven PhD research fellowships for students pursuing artificial intelligence research at institutions across the state.
Subsidised GPU Computing for Gujarat Entities
The minister's reply also detailed the IndiaAI Compute pillar, which provides subsidised access to high-performance Graphics Processing Unit (GPU) computing at an average rate of approximately ₹65 per GPU-hour through 15 empanelled Compute Service Providers. In Gujarat, this subsidised high-end GPU access has been allocated to Gujarat Informatics Limited (GIL) and the Gujarat Cooperative Milk Marketing Federation Limited (Amul) — a notable inclusion of a dairy cooperative in the country's AI infrastructure push.
IndiaAI Mission: Scale and Structure
The IndiaAI Mission was approved by the Central government on 7 March 2024 with a total outlay of ₹10,371.92 crore over five years. It is being implemented through seven pillars: IndiaAI Compute, IndiaAI Foundation Models, AIKosh, the IndiaAI Application Development Initiative (IADI), IndiaAI FutureSkills, IndiaAI Startup Financing, and Safe & Trusted AI.
The minister noted that India's AI strategy draws on the country's established information technology sector, which generates annual revenue of approximately USD 300 billion and employs around 60 lakh people. The mission has also launched 11 national-level hackathons and innovation challenges under the IADI pillar to encourage AI-driven innovation nationwide. This comes amid a broader global race to build sovereign AI capacity, with India positioning its technical education infrastructure as a foundational layer for that push.
Point of View
Or simply add another credential layer to the existing skilling apparatus, will depend on curriculum quality, industry linkages, and post-training placement data — none of which the parliamentary reply addresses. The inclusion of Amul in the GPU compute allocation is intriguing and worth watching; it could signal AI use-cases in agri and dairy supply chains, or it could be tokenistic. The mission's ₹10,371.92 crore outlay is substantial, but five-year programmes of this scale routinely face absorption challenges. Parliament should demand annual outcome disclosures, not just allocation announcements.
NationPress
3 Aug 2026
Frequently Asked Questions
What are the Data & AI Labs being set up in Gujarat under the IndiaAI Mission?
Data & AI Labs are training facilities being established at 37 technical institutes in Gujarat — 20 ITIs and 17 Polytechnics — under the IndiaAI FutureSkills pillar. They will provide training in artificial intelligence, data annotation, data curation, and applied data science to build a skilled AI workforce.
What is the IndiaAI Mission and what is its budget?
The IndiaAI Mission is a Central government initiative approved on 7 March 2024 with a total outlay of ₹10,371.92 crore over five years. It is structured around seven pillars covering compute infrastructure, foundation models, skilling, startup financing, and AI safety.
How many AI fellowships has Gujarat received under the IndiaAI Mission?
Gujarat has been awarded 23 fellowships under the IndiaAI Fellowship programme — 4 undergraduate, 12 postgraduate, and 7 PhD fellowships — to support AI research at academic institutions across the state.
Why has Amul been included in Gujarat's GPU computing allocation?
According to the minister's written reply, subsidised access to high-performance GPU computing has been allocated to Gujarat Informatics Limited (GIL) and Amul under the IndiaAI Compute pillar. The reply does not specify the intended AI use-cases for Amul; the allocation is at approximately ₹65 per GPU-hour through empanelled Compute Service Providers.
What are the AI Centres of Excellence allocated to Gujarat?
Gujarat has been allocated two Artificial Intelligence Centres of Excellence (AI-CoEs) under the IndiaAI Startup Financing pillar. These are intended to strengthen the state's AI innovation ecosystem and provide targeted support to startups, MSMEs, and academic institutions.
