Microsoft, Ahmedabad-based iCreate join hands to foster AI startups in India
Feb 21, 2024
New Delhi [India], February 21 : Microsoft and Ahmedabad-based iCreate on Wednesday exchanged MoUs to launch a programme to foster AI startups in India.
Taking to X, Union for Electronics and Technology Rajeev Chandrasekhar said today's exchange of agreement will take forward the vision set forth by Prime Minister Narendra Modi during his meeting with Microsoft chairman Satya Nadella last year.
"We believe partnerships are the way to accelerate the growth of our innovation ecosystem. This partnership will not only be durable but also shape the future of what India and Microsoft aim to achieve with INDIAai. INDIAai is the national portal on Artificial Intelligence - a central hub for everything AI in India and beyond.
"PM Modi's government is committed to forging impactful partnerships in AI and emerging technologies, catalysing startups not only in big cities but also in smaller towns," the minister wrote on X.
Later, talking to reporters, the minister said that the next wave of startups is going to be in areas like artificial intelligence, semiconductors, electronics, microelectronics, high performance computing, and the future of the Internet Web 3.0.
"Modi ji's government has really become one of the shining stars and one of the most compelling innovation economies around the world. As you know, over a lakh of startups have been created, and over 112 unicorns have been created," he added.
"And it is our prime minister's vision that these startups should come from tier 1, tier 2, tier 3 cities, smaller towns as well. And it is very good to see partnerships like Microsoft and iCreate, which are aimed at creating entrepreneurship and startups in new areas like AI and out of places that are smaller towns and that are not Bangalore, Hyderabad, but Gandhinagar, Ahmedabad, and Surat," the minister said.
Started in 2012, iCreate is supported by the government of Gujarat as well as the government of India to facilitate next generation entrepreneurship.
