Parliament was informed on Friday that government entities have inked memoranda of understanding with Google, IBM, and Meta, the owner of Facebook, in order to promote investment and creativity in the nation.
In a written response to the Rajya Sabha, Minister of State for Electronics and IT Rajeev Chandrasekhar stated that the government is actively collaborating with the private sector to stimulate innovation and advance the use of emerging technology. “The Ministry has inked Memorandums of Understanding (MoUs) with numerous international Indian technology and research names in order to promote innovation and investment. The goal of these agreements is to improve India’s skill and reputation in the developing technology sector,” he stated.
In October 2023, IBM India and three entities involved with the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY) inked memorandums of understandings (MoUs) to expedite and enhance AI, semiconductor, and quantum technology innovation for India, the minister noted. In September 2023, he said, Google India and Digital India Bhashini Division (DIBD) inked a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) outlining a strategic relationship to enhance artificial intelligence (AI) technology and promote linguistic inclusivity in India.
According to him, MeitY Startup Hub (MSH) and Meta worked together to accelerate XR technology companies in India in September 2022, and in July 2023, India AI and Meta signed an agreement to create a framework in AI and emerging technologies. “Our Ministry understands that in May 2018, Google and NITI Aayog signed a Statement of Intent to enhance India’s artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning (ML) ecosystem,” Chandrasekhar stated. He said that Google had notified NITI Aayog about the working document for Responsible AIforALL and that it has created machine learning apps to address important social issues in India, such as the prediction of floods and diabetic retinopathy.
About this, Google’s flood forecasting project was first tested in 2018 in the Bihar district of Patna, and by 2020, it covered 200 million people spread over more than 250,000 square kilometers over all of India. Google then enhanced its notification system and broadened its product line to help inform impacted parties, including the addition of improved crisis information to Google Maps, according to Chandrasekhar.
