Kerala Unveils Twin AI Centres to Drive Genomics, Startups and Frontier Research

Kerala has launched two Centres of Excellence in Artificial Intelligence in partnership with the IndiaAI Mission under the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology, marking a major push to position the state as an AI and deep-tech hub.

The first centre, a Bio-AI Centre , will be set up under the Kerala Startup Mission at the Digital Hub in Kochi . It will focus on applying AI to genomics, biotechnology, biodiversity research, Ayurveda, drug discovery and precision healthcare . The centre is expected to use advanced computing infrastructure, including the Tejaswi supercomputer at CUSAT and the Kerala Genome Data Centre , to analyse large biological datasets and support healthcare and biotech innovation.

The second centre will function as a general-purpose AI Centre of Excellence at Digital University Kerala in Thiruvananthapuram . It will focus on AI research, training, startup incubation, technology commercialisation and industry collaboration . The centre is expected to help build AI talent, support entrepreneurs and promote real-world AI applications across sectors.

Both centres have received administrative approval under the IndiaAI Mission’s Startup Financing Pillar , with an outlay of Rs 20 crore each over four years .

Kerala Minister for IT and Industries P K Kunhalikutty described the partnership as a landmark moment, saying the two centres would combine frontier research with practical applications and help Kerala contribute meaningfully to India’s AI mission.