IIT & AIIMS Join Forces to Set Up Centre to Research AI in Healthcare
The proposed Centre will operate as a Section 8 company under an INR 330 Cr grant, awarded jointly to both institutions by the Ministry of Education under its Make AI in India, Make AI Work for India initiative.
IIT Delhi and AIIMS Delhi have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to establish a Centre of Excellence for Artificial Intelligence in Healthcare (AI-CoE).
The formal agreement was signed at IIT Delhi by Prof M Srinivas, Director of AIIMS Delhi, and Prof Rangan Banerjee, Director of IIT Delhi.
AI-CoE aims to serve as a hub for developing indigenous AI solutions, supporting national health programmes, and making advanced healthcare accessible to even the most remote communities.
AIIMS director M Srinivas commented on the collaboration, “This MoU marks the beginning of transformative collaborative research with the potential to reshape healthcare across the country.”
Chetan Arora, Chief Project Manager, who will lead the AI-CoE from IIT Delhi, said that according to the initial proposal, the CoE will examine at least five national health programmes, including those for cancer, maternity and child care, blindness, and tuberculosis (TB).
“The CoE will be dynamic and adjust to the demands of our national health programmes and the pace of AI technology,” Arora said.
Leading the initiative from AIIMS Delhi, Dr Krithika Rangarajan, Chief Project Manager, commented that this project explores the intersection of healthcare and technology, placing patients at the centre and building systems that benefit every citizen.
Additionally, this initiative stems from an INR 330 Cr grant awarded by the Ministry of Education under the “Make AI in India, Make AI Work for India” initiative, following a rigorous national selection process.
The CoE is expected to become a national resource. “While the initial funding from the government grant is for a period of four years, the CoE would also be open to collaborating with other partners to develop AI solutions,” an AIIMS official said.
According to some other sources, the center is proposed to be run by a board of directors, which might include secretaries from the Ministries of Education, Health, and Electronics and Information Technology.
The CoE will serve as a key research and resource center at the national and international levels to upscale health services, upskill healthcare providers, and improve the accessibility of quality healthcare using AI solutions.
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