Microsoft, has chosen seven Indian companies to be a part of its training programme on sustainability solutions for the environment based on new-age technologies, such as artificial intelligence (AI) and cloud computing.
The organisations selected for the ‘AI for Earth’ programme include the Indian Institute of Science and the Symbiosis Institute of Technology. India has the third largest number of grantees in this programme, after the US and Canada.
The selected organisations will receive resources associated with Microsoft Azure Cloud and AI computing along with technology training on these tools and additional support.
The initiative aims to empower environmental researchers with AI solutions from Microsoft, which will contribute to creating a sustainable future.
Through the AI for Earth programme, Microsoft commits US$ 50 million for five years, focussing on climate change, agriculture, biodiversity and water. Launched last year, the number of grantees under the initiative has already increased from 20 to 147, from across140 countries. US$ 1.1 million worth of Azure credits (Microsoft cloud) have already been awarded till date.
The selected organisations are: Indian Institute of Technology (along with the Technical University of Munich) as well as the International Crops Research Institute for the Semi-Arid Tropics (ICRISAT), Hyderabad (in the agricultural category); Ashoka Trust for Research in Ecology and Environment (ATREE),Bengaluru and Indraprastha Institute of Information Technology, Delhi (in the biodiversity category); the Symbiosis Institute of Technology, Pune and the Indian Institute of Science, Bengaluru.
These organisations have been selected on the basis of their activities towards conservation, protection and rebuilding of the environment with the help of AI.
With this, Microsoft expands its commitment to democratisation of AI and advancement of sustainability in India.
