A state-of-the-art National Artificial Intelligence (AI) Lab is being set up at the All-India Council for Technical Education (AICTE) headquarters in New Delhi, marking a significant collaboration between the council and IBM India. The lab will serve as a national hub for AI research, innovation, and skilling, designed to empower students and educators across India’s technical education ecosystem.
The facility will be equipped with advanced computing infrastructure, AI software platforms, and a digital resource repository accessible to AICTE-affiliated institutions nationwide. It will also host training programmes tailored for students, faculty, and researchers, focusing on future skill areas such as AI, cloud computing, and sustainability applications.
A central element of the initiative is IBM’s global education platform, SkillsBuild, which provides over 1,000 free courses on AI and emerging technologies. The lab will expand the platform’s reach across AICTE institutions, complementing IBM’s global goal of skilling 30 million learners by 2030, including 2 million in AI by 2026.
Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan lauded the collaboration as a model for industry–academia partnerships, highlighting its potential to enhance the quality of technical education and strengthen India’s role as a global hub for future skills. IBM representatives echoed this sentiment, emphasising the company’s commitment to using technology for social good, creating pathways for employability, and supporting India’s growth as an AI-driven economy.
In addition to online learning, the lab will host in-person workshops, mentorship sessions with IBM experts, and innovation challenges to encourage project-based applications of AI. By combining academic expertise with industry-led training, the National AI Lab is expected to accelerate India’s transition towards a more innovation-driven, technologically self-reliant future.
