Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik recently inaugurated Centre of Excellence (CoE) in AI at the College of Engineering and Technology (CET). The center has been established under a tripartite partnership between Tech Mahindra Ltd, Biju Patnaik University of Technology (BPUT) and CET. The CM also inaugurated a facility for international BPO operations at Fortune Tower.

While addressing the inaugural ceremony, the CM Naveen Patnaik said, “the collaboration between Tech Mahindra and CET to build the CoE powered by AI is a step towards fulfilling our dream to make Odisha one of the three investment destinations in the country.”

The CoE set up under this initiative is aimed at fostering a growing ecosystem that will positively impact the economy and lives of people in Odisha.

According to Update Odisha, 30 students will get training at the CoE every year and it will familiarize them with AI and Machine Learning. As quoted by CM Naveen Patnaik, the BPO center will provide employment opportunities in the sector & will help Skilled In Odisha youth seeking opportunities in international BPO.

Betting on the success of CoE, the number of enrollment of students is expected to increase. Under this initiative, the students will first get exposure to industrial problems and will be taught to come up with solutions. Being the first-ever CoE in the field of AI in the State, it will help students achieve skills so that they can contribute to society in several fields. According to a senior official, the present priority of the administration is health, education, and agriculture.

The Centre of Excellence will serve as a platform to develop new solutions that will leverage cutting-edge AI technology through proof of concepts (PoC), to develop business use cases that are potentially influencing manufacturing industries, public service organizations, and significant others.

A student named Madhusmita Padhi said that AI is now being used in every field and is termed as new electricity. It can help people in numerous ways by reducing manual work and can suggest accurate data on several aspects.

Moreover, earlier, an MoU was signed between Tech Mahindra and CET that highlighted the government’s objective to up-skill young students by familiarizing them with new-age technologies like AI and equipping them with the knowledge of applying these technologies in everyday life.

Sujit Baksi, president, corporate affairs & business head APAC, Tech Mahindra, said, “Our collaboration with the College of Engineering and Technology (CET), Odisha, we aim to co-create smart solutions for the future by leveraging next-generation technologies like Artificial Intelligence. The Center of Excellence (CoE) will help tap the potential of the students to address the evolving technology needs of local industries, besides significantly improving their skills and future employability. It will also help in fostering a culture of innovation to deliver a superior experience to our customers globally.”

Sanjay Kumar Singh, commissioner cum secretary, Skill Development and Technical Education Department, Government of Odisha, said, “This collaboration between Tech Mahindra and CET will be a big step forward in building joint capabilities for the local industries and the state of Odisha, in the area of AI. The CoE will be a catalyst in implementing new-age technologies in various sectors and will help us design cutting-edge solutions for the future.”