The Tamil Nadu government has signed an agreement with Google to explore AI partnerships in the state, while the administration will also set up a new centre, ‘Tamil Nadu AI Labs’. The government signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the tech giant on Saturday at the company’s office in Mountain View, US, according to a statement issued by the Industries Minister. The administration has also signed five other agreements with companies like Nokia, PayPal and Infinix to set up centres in cities like Chennai, Madurai and Coimbatore.
Dr TRB Rajaa, Minister for Industries, Tamil Nadu government, said in a post on X (formerly Twitter) that the state government signed an MoU with Google on Saturday, during CM MK Stalin’s ongoing visit to the US. The minister also announced that the state government will set up a Tamil Nadu AI Labs facility in Chennai. Meanwhile, Google will collaborate with Guidance, the government’s investment agency in the state, to bring AI technology to startups, SMEs and the rural ecosystem.
According to the minister, the partnership with Google will enable the Tamil Nadu government to train 2 million youth in AI technologies through the state-run Naan Mudhalvan training platform, while also offering mentoring and networking opportunities to startups in the region. The company said SMEs will also be able to use Google Cloud AI technologies on the open networking marketplace.
“This collaboration underscores our shared commitment to driving inclusive growth and technological advancement through AI. We look forward to working together to build a thriving AI ecosystem in Tamil Nadu – one that not only drives innovation and creates opportunities, but also equips individuals with the skills they need to thrive in the digital age,” Amit Zavery, head of Google Cloud Platform, said in a prepared statement.
The minister said that on the first day of the Prime Minister’s visit to the US, the government signed six MoUs with various companies to set up facilities in the state, including Nokia’s R&D centre in Siruseri, an AI and machine learning development centre in Chennai to be set up by PayPal, a semiconductor innovation centre in Coimbatore (Microchip, Yield Engineering Systems) and a technology centre of Applied Materials and Infinix in Madurai.
