The Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Jodhpur has got a Center for Generative AI supported by world's leading IT company Meta. The center named Shrijan (सृजन) is a part of Meta's partnership with IndiaAI, an independent business unit (IBD) under Digital India Corporation (DIC) of the union Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY). 

S. Krishnan, Secretary, Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY) said, “these initiatives are pivotal in creating a robust ecosystem for groundbreaking research, skill development, and open-source innovation, advancing AI technology while ensuring its responsible and ethical deployment.” 

The Center for Generative AI aims to foster a collaborative ecosystem in the field of Generative AI through groundbreaking research and application development to address national challenges in education, mobility, and healthcare domains contributing to global advancements in Generative AI. Through education, capacity building, and policy advisory, the center will be empowering the next generation of researchers, students, and practitioners with the knowledge and tools necessary for the responsible development and deployment of GenAI technologies. 

Meta will provide seed funds and will facilitate technology and research discussions with the researchers of Meta, provide support regarding Meta’s open-source technologies, as mutually agreed between the parties. 

The CoE will have an academic research team comprising of faculty members, post-doctoral fellows, doctorate, graduate students, and administrative staff from IIT Jodhpur to be coordinated by the center director, who will be the Principal Investigator of the project. The team will also interface with the Gati Shakti Vishwavidyalaya for railways, PGI Chandigarh, AIIMS Jodhpur, and IHBAS Delhi for the healthcare vertical.

Commenting on the partnership, Mayank Vatsa, Professor, IIT Jodhpur said,  “Srijan, meaning ‘Creation,’ will be a leading center for Foundation Models and Generative AI research in India. Our goal is to drive innovation in AI technology while ensuring ethical and responsible use.  With the support from Meta and the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY), Srijan is aligned with the IndiaAI mission to strengthen the country’s AI ecosystem.