'Dual Engine' AI Strategy: Kerala announces two major AI hubs with India AI

Mission in partnership with Kerala Startup Mission and Digital University Kerala

Trivandrum / May 21, 2026

Thiruvananthapuram, May 21: The Government of Kerala, in partnership with the India AI Mission (India AI), IBD under DIC, Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY), Government of India, today announced the establishment of two AI Centres of Excellence (AI-CoEs) — one focused on Bio-AI under the Kerala Startup Mission (KSUM) at the Digital Hub, Kochi, and a second general-purpose AI-CoE under Digital University Kerala (DUK) in Thiruvananthapuram — both with a total outlay of ₹20 crore each and both receiving administrative approval under the India AI Mission's Startup Financing Pillar.

Speaking on the occasion, Shri P K Kunhalikutty, Minister for IT and Industries, Government of Kerala, said: "Kerala's partnership with the India AI Mission is a landmark moment for the state. With two distinct AI Centres of Excellence — one rooted in Kerala's biological heritage and the other anchored in our world-class digital university — we are building a comprehensive AI ecosystem that covers both frontier research and real-world application. Kerala is not just participating in India's AI mission; we are helping shape it."

 

CoE 1: Bio-AI Centre of Excellence — KSUM, Digital Hub, Kochi

"Nature Meets Compute "Implemented by Kerala Startup Mission (KSUM) under the India AI Mission's Startup Financing Pillar, this CoE brings together Kerala's Western Ghats biodiversity, centuries-old Ayurvedic heritage, and cutting-edge genomics under one innovation platform, powered by the 'Tejaswi' Supercomputer at CUSAT (350 TeraFLOPS) and the Kerala Genome Data Centre (KGDC).With a ₹20 crore investment over four years on a 40:40:20 funding model between MeitY, the State, and an Industry Consortium — comprising Syntite Industries, Plant Lipids, Mane Kancor, and Vaidyaratnam Oushadhasala — the Bio-AI CoE will:

Incubate 48 deep-tech startups across four annual cohorts Generate 600 direct high-value jobs and train 1,200 professionals in bioinformatics Develop 20 proprietary IP assets in drug discovery, agri-tech, and genomics Deploy AI tools benefiting 40,000+ spice farmers, targeting a 20% income increase

The CoE will address 10 grand challenge use cases across two clusters — Life Sciences & Ayur-Genomics, and Agri-Tech & Spice Value Chain — including Precision Ayurveda through Prakriti-gene mapping, in-silico drug discovery from Western Ghats flora, AI-verified GI authentication for premium spices, and predictive pest management through drone analytics.

 

CoE 2: AI Centre of Excellence — Digital University Kerala, Thiruvananthapuram

"From Research to Commercialisation "Digital University Kerala (DUK), under the same India AI Mission framework, has received administrative approval to establish a second AI-CoE at a dedicated 10,000 sq. ft. facility in Thiruvananthapuram, also with a total outlay of ₹20 crore. DUK brings exceptional institutional credentials to this initiative — it is India's first university to be empanelled by CERT-In as a recognised Information Security Auditing agency, and its Centre for Digital Innovation and Product Development (CDIPD) is the first development centre in India to achieve CMMI Development Maturity Level 3 certification, reflecting global-standard quality and process maturity.

This CoE will function as a technology resource hub, bridging advanced AI research and practical, market-ready applications. It will support startups in moving from product development to commercialisation, build AI-related skills through structured training and capacity-building programmes, and develop AI solutions specifically addressing Kerala's socio-economic needs. The Centre will initially operate from a dedicated physical facility equipped with AI labs and high-performance computing infrastructure, with a possible transition into an independent Section 8 company governed by an Executive Committee and Project Management Committee.

 

Key activities will include applied AI research, hackathons and workshops, startup incubation and mentorship, accelerator and funding facilitation, industry collaboration for commercialisation, and development of sector-specific AI solutions.

Two Centres, One Vision — Powered by India AI Mission Together, Kerala's two India AI Mission-backed CoEs represent a deliberate, complementary strategy — the KSUM Bio-AI CoE drives deep-tech, IP-led, industry-connected innovation in life sciences and agri-tech, while the DUK AI-CoE anchors research excellence, talent development, and startup commercialisation in general-purpose AI. Located at Kerala's two premier technology hubs — Kochi and Thiruvananthapuram — they together form the backbone of the state's contribution to India's national AI mission.

About India AI Mission

The India AI Mission is a strategic national initiative under MeitY aimed at building a comprehensive AI ecosystem that democratises access to compute, data, and startup financing, positioning India as a global AI leader.

About Kerala Startup Mission (KSUM)

Kerala Startup Mission is the nodal agency of the Government of Kerala for entrepreneurship development and incubation, and the implementing agency for the Bio-AI Centre of Excellence.

About Digital University Kerala (DUK)

Digital University Kerala is India's first digital university, committed to education and research at the intersection of technology, innovation, and society.

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