TLDR: India has officially nominated the Indian Institute of Technology Madras (IIT-Madras) to serve as a UN Centre of Excellence for Artificial Intelligence (AI). This strategic move, announced during the 80th session of the United Nations General Assembly, aims to bolster global AI capacity building and skill development, particularly for the Global South. The initiative underscores India’s commitment to fostering inclusive digital growth and ethical AI governance worldwide.
In a significant stride towards global leadership in Artificial Intelligence, India has formally nominated the Indian Institute of Technology Madras (IIT-Madras) as a UN Centre of Excellence (CoE) for AI. The announcement was made by officials during a high-level event held on the sidelines of the 80th session of the United Nations General Assembly in New York on September 26, 2025. This nomination, spearheaded by the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY), highlights India’s dedication to advancing AI capacity building, skill development, and inclusive digital transformation, with a particular focus on empowering the Global South.
MeitY Secretary S. Krishnan emphasized India’s vision to support nations in the Global South by enhancing their AI capabilities. He stated that IIT-Madras, an institution recognized for its eminence, will operate as a CoE under the United Nations Office for Digital and Emerging Technologies (ODET) initiative. The UN established ODET to address the evolving opportunities and challenges presented by rapidly advancing technologies, including the critical area of AI governance. This global network will see countries nominating their institutions to collaboratively tackle the AI skills gap, promote ethical AI governance, and ensure equitable access to AI technologies across regions.
During the event, co-hosted by the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and the Republic of Kenya, Secretary Krishnan articulated India’s AI philosophy with the mantra: “Capacity is the new connectivity.” He cautioned against the widening AI capacity gap between regions and urged international cooperation to pool resources and bridge this structural divide. Krishnan asserted, “If we get People, Compute, Data, and Safety right, we can close the AI divide faster and more effectively.”
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Further elaborating on India’s broader AI landscape, the Secretary highlighted ongoing efforts under the “India AI” initiative. This includes the upcoming AI Impact Summit scheduled for February 2026, to which countries and companies are invited to participate. India’s burgeoning AI infrastructure currently boasts 38,000 GPUs, with capacity expanding daily, and offers 300 open-source AI models, with more under development. Additionally, India aims to skill approximately 10 million individuals annually, covering a spectrum of roles from data annotation to advanced research, as part of its mission to cultivate a robust AI ecosystem.
