IIT Kharagpur's Houston AI Centre Aims To Build Global Platform For Skills & Innovation

Kharagpur: The director of IIT Kharagpur envisions the center evolving into a larger Pan-IIT platform, offering professional development courses and tackling intricate industry issues. The AI Learning Centre was inaugurated in Houston, Texas, in collaboration with the IIT Kharagpur Outreach Network, located at the Tagore Centre.

This facility aims to bolster artificial intelligence education, skill development, and practical solutions for businesses. The inauguration took place on India's 80th Independence Day and IIT Kharagpur's 75th anniversary, highlighting the growing India-US technology alliance. India's Consul General in Houston, DC Manjunath, along with Tagore Centre Foundation co-founder and IIT Kharagpur Foundation President Dr Asoke Deysarkar, and IIT Kharagpur Director Prof. Suman Chakraborty, jointly launched the center.

Manjunath emphasized the potential for AI partnerships to create new opportunities for institutional cooperation. The center aims for a global presence, building on the year-long efforts that went into its creation. Prof. Chakraborty sees the center as a stepping stone to become a Pan-IIT institution, providing professional growth programs and addressing significant industry hurdles.

US Consul General in Kolkata Kathy Giles-Diaz praised the academic collaboration, and HCL Tech co-founder and IIT alumnus Arjun Malhotra pledged support to expand the center's reach. The center commenced operations with a two-day AI certificate bootcamp led by Dr Debyajoti Banerjee from Texas A&M University. The inauguration attracted a large crowd, including IIT alumni, technology experts, Indian diaspora leaders, and officials from Harris County Commissioner Lesley Briones' office.