Bengaluru: Manipal Institute of Technology (MIT) Bengaluru, a constituent unit of Manipal Academy of Higher Education (MAHE), has launched the IBM-MIT AI Lab – MAHE Intelligence GPU (MIG) in collaboration with IBM, aiming to expand access to advanced AI computing, research infrastructure and digital skilling.
The AI Lab, inaugurated at the MIT Bengaluru campus, houses a High-Performance Computing (HPC) facility) capable of supporting 30 high-performance computing workloads simultaneously. It will provide computing resources to students, researchers, faculty members and institutions across India.
The facility will support research across areas including machine learning, deep learning, generative AI, computer vision, natural language processing, cybersecurity, healthcare, intelligent systems and data analytics.
The lab is also positioned as a platform for academia-industry collaboration, with plans to support industry-sponsored projects, interdisciplinary research, faculty development, student innovation, hackathons, internships, startup incubation and collaborative technology development.
IBM SkillsBuild to support AI skilling
As part of the initiative, MIT Bengaluru and IBM will establish an AI Learning Initiative through IBM SkillsBuild, IBM’s free technology education programme.
The initiative will include AI awareness workshops, immersive bootcamps, hands-on training in AI and machine learning, IBM SkillsBuild digital credentials, mentorship and access to the lab’s computing infrastructure.
The programme will specifically seek to reach students from Tier 2 and Tier 3 institutions, with the stated aim of reducing the digital divide and improving access to industry-relevant AI skills.
The lab was inaugurated by Prof. Madhu Veeraraghavan, Pro Vice Chancellor, MAHE Bengaluru, and Nisha Gopinath, Vice President, Human Resources, IBM India and South Asia, in the presence of representatives from IBM, MAHE, the Karnataka government, faculty, researchers, students and industry.
Karnataka Cabinet Minister for Home, IT & BT and e-Governance Priyank Kharge said the collaboration would strengthen the state’s AI ecosystem by giving students and researchers access to advanced infrastructure and hands-on learning.
MAHE said the initiative is intended to combine high-performance computing, AI skilling, industry collaboration and community outreach to support research, innovation, entrepreneurship and talent development.
