New Delhi: The Centre has announced the second round of Expressions of Interest (EoI) under the IndiaAI Mission, aimed at advancing ethical and responsible AI innovation. Open to academic institutions, startups, R&D organizations, and companies, this initiative offers a platform to explore AI’s potential in tackling critical challenges. The last date for submission of proposals is 9 January 2025.
Launched on 7 March 2024, the IndiaAI Mission aims to establish India as a global leader in artificial intelligence while ensuring that AI’s benefits reach every section of society. Under this mission, seven key pillars have been identified to strengthen the domestic AI ecosystem. Among them, the Safe & Trusted AI pillar emphasizes India-specific AI governance, focusing on indigenous tools, frameworks, and standards tailored to the country’s diverse cultural, social, linguistic, and economic landscape.
Achievements of the First EoI Round
In the first round of EoI, the IndiaAI Independent Business Division (IBD) approved eight projects addressing themes such as Machine Unlearning, Synthetic Data Generation, AI Bias Mitigation, Privacy-Enhancing Tools, Explainable AI, AI Governance Testing, Ethical AI Certification, and Algorithm Auditing Tools.
These projects are already advancing the mission’s goals of responsible AI development.
Focus of the Second EoI Round
The second EoI round builds on this progress, inviting proposals to develop practical tools and frameworks across five critical themes:
- Watermarking & Labelling: Tools to authenticate AI-generated content, ensuring traceability, security, and protection against harmful materials.
- Ethical AI Frameworks: Frameworks that align with global standards while promoting fairness and respecting human values.
- AI Risk Assessment & Management: Risk management tools to enhance the safe deployment of AI in public services.
- Stress Testing Tools: Mechanisms to evaluate AI models under extreme conditions, identify vulnerabilities, and build trust in AI systems.
- Deepfake Detection Tools: Real-time tools to detect and mitigate deepfakes, fostering a secure digital ecosystem.
Implementation and Vision
IndiaAI, a division under the Digital India Corporation (DIC) of the Ministry of Electronics and IT (MeitY), is the implementing agency for this initiative. The mission aligns with the government’s vision of leveraging AI for inclusive growth, fostering technological self-reliance, and ensuring ethical AI use.
Interested organizations can find more details and apply at: https://indiaai.gov.in/article/expression-of-interest-for-safe-trusted-ai-projects-under-indiaai-mission.
This initiative highlighted India’s commitment to democratizing AI, promoting responsible innovation, and advancing global leadership in artificial intelligence.