CSR

Introduction:

Dr. Maunendra Sankar Desarkar, Head of the Department of AI at IIT Hyderabad, proposes a project to establish the institute as a global hub for "AI for Social Good: Think Global, Act Local." The initiative aims to harness AI's potential for addressing indigenous challenges and improving the quality of life.

Objective:

The project's primary goal is to position IITH as a leading Center of Excellence in "AI for Social Good." Driven by both fundamental research and applied perspectives, it addresses challenges such as learning with limited labeled data, resource-efficient AI/ML, fairness, explainability, and ethical AI/ML, along with multimodal and multilingual learning. Applied aspects focus on vital domains for indigenous technology development: Agriculture, Smart Mobility, Technologies for the Differently Abled, Security and Defense, Disaster Management, Education, and Healthcare. The initiative aligns with SDGs 3, 4, 9, 10, and 11.

Timeline & Budget : 

Year 1:

Fundamental research initiation.

Manpower recruitment: 270 Lakhs.

Capital Equipment setup: 200 Lakhs.

Travel & Consumables: 20 Lakhs.

Total Budget: 490 Lakhs.

• Year 2:

• Applied research continuation.

• Ongoing support and adjustments.

• Travel & Consumables: 15 Lakhs.

• Total Budget: 280 Lakhs.

• Year 3:

• Applied research finalization.

• Budget reduction.

• Travel & Consumables: 15 Lakhs.

• Total Budget: 80 Lakhs.

Proposer Details:

Dr. Maunendra Sankar Desarkar, Head, Department of AI, IIT Hyderabad.

Social Impact:

The project envisions significant social impact through top-tier publications, dataset repositories, publicly available resources, manpower training, workshops, symposia, and collaborations. Leveraging ties with AISEA, the initiative also aims at translating technologies into commercial products, contributing to India's technological advancement.