New Delhi, December 5
Google on Thursday announced a strategic collaboration with the Government of Andhra Pradesh to accelerate the deployment and adoption of Artificial Intelligence (AI) across the state, as per a release.
This collaboration formalised through a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU), will drive the development and implementation of AI solutions, focusing on key sectors like healthcare and sustainability, while also prioritising digital infrastructure enhancements, AI skills development, and support for the local startup ecosystem, as per the release.
Under this MoU, Google will collaborate with the Andhra Pradesh government to integrate AI and ML solutions in critical areas such as healthcare, and environmental sustainability.
The collaboration will also focus on promoting skill development and bridging the digital divide by providing citizens with the necessary training and resources to thrive in an AI-driven economy.
Additionally, Google will collaborate to support the state's startup ecosystem, to fuel innovation and entrepreneurship in the field of AI.
The MoU exchange took place in Amaravati, in the presence of Nara Lokesh, Minister of Information Technology, Electronics and Communications and Human Resources Development, Andhra Pradesh; between Bikram Singh Bedi, Vice President and Country MD, Google Cloud India, and S Suresh Kumar, Secretary of Real Time Governance Society, Andhra Pradesh.
Chandrababu Naidu, Chief Minister of Andhra Pradesh, said, "This collaboration aligns with our vision of using technology for the betterment of our citizens. We aim to empower every individual and business by harnessing the power of AI, building a thriving environment for innovation and growth across the state."
Bikram Singh Bedi, Vice President and Country MD, Google Cloud India, said, "We're excited to combine Google's AI expertise with the state's vision to cultivate an AI-ready workforce, support local startups, and address areas like healthcare and sustainability. We look forward to partnering with the Andhra Pradesh government to unlock the transformative potential of AI to drive progress, improve lives, and promote development and inclusion across the State."
The Key initiatives under the move include Skill development and education, Startup ecosystem enablement, Sustainability, Healthcare, and AI pilots.
As per the release, Google will offer 10,000 certificates for the Google AI Essentials course, a foundational course that teaches people how to use AI in their work and everyday lives to increase productivity and efficiency. Google Cloud will also collaborate with the government to provide skilling programs for government agencies, including Google Cloud Certifications and Skill Badges in areas like cybersecurity, data analytics, and generative AI.
Additionally, Google will offer resources and support to educators to meet the growing demand for computer science education. Skilling initiatives will also include access to Google's developer community programs and Android and app skilling development training.
Google will work with the Andhra Pradesh startup ecosystem to encourage innovation and entrepreneurship, providing mentorship and networking opportunities and access to Google for Startups Accelerator programs. In addition, eligible AI startups will receive cloud credits, technical training, and business support, as per the release.
In addition, Google will collaborate on pilot projects in key sectors on the benefits of cloud technology and AI in areas such as agriculture, traffic management, website modernization and citizen grievance redressal, among others.