The Centre’s activities will include technology development, aiding entrepreneurship development, human resource development, and international collaborations.

This newly-launched centre will help identify risks to inform future regulations, ensuring that India’s AI development is safe and responsible, especially in the Indian context while maximising innovation, say sources from IITMPTF.

Launch

The centre was launched on 14 November 2024 at IIT Madras Research Park in the presence of Lt.Gen. KS Brar, AVSM, GoC Dakshin Bharat, Prof. V. Kamakoti, Director, IIT Madras, Dr. M.J. Shankar Raman, CEO, IITMPTF, Prof. Gaurav Raina, Chief Scientist, CHAI, students, researchers and other stakeholders.

Director of IIT Madras

Prof. V. Kamakoti, Director, IIT Madras, said, Human Centric AI Systems seem to be the most convincing ones for the end-users to adopt.

Developments in CHAI will look at various aspects of deployment of AI systems, specifically from explainability and responsibility points of view, he said.

Empowering

Lt.Gen. KS Brar said that the centre should focus on Empowering the future where AI serves humanity, enhancing lives and fostering a better world for all.

The solutions developed, and the lessons learned may also be applied in other countries, say sources from IITMPTF.

Scope

The scope of the centre would be around three dimensions: enhancing human potential, protecting citizens and amplifying societal values which are embodied through culture and heritage.

Focus

Prof. Gaurav Raina, the Chief Scientist at the Centre, who is also Faculty, Department of Electrical Engineering, IIT Madras, said the focus of this Centre also aligns with the broad principles of Industry 5.0, which emphasises human-centricity and sustainability.

The focus will be on translational research that leads to impactful solutions in the form of data sets, AI models, tools and AI applications in the areas aligned with the scope of the centre, he said.

Research areas

Some of the critical areas for research and development include:

⮚ Language models: A key focus will be on small language models better suited to smaller, domain-specific, and contextualised data sets.

⮚ Languages: Especially in Indian languages, but more generally in non-English languages. This helps us to start locally but eventually be impactful globally.

⮚ Responsible and Safe AI: Our research and development will focus on addressing issues related to privacy, biases, and ethical considerations, among others.

This emphasis on responsible AI will ensure that our solutions are innovative but also ethical and safe, say sources from IITMPTF.

Capacity building in AI

The Centre will provide an opportunity for internships for students across the country to develop their skills on cutting edge AI projects and solutions.

Students within IIT Madras will be able to pursue their undergraduate, masters and Phd research projects and thesis with co-guidance from the Centre. This will aid in building capacity for AI talent in the country, say sources from IITMPTF.

Under the umbrella of protecting citizens, the applications will include aspects like cyber-security, cyber-fraud, and disinformation security. Such applications will also be important for strengthening democracy.

For culture and heritage, we hope to preserve, revive, and widely share our very rich cultural diversity and heritage, aided with tools like AI.

About IITMPTF

IIT-M Pravartak Technologies is a Section 8 Company housing the Technology Innovation Hub on Sensors, Networking, Actuators and Control Systems.

It is funded by the Department of Science and Technology, Government of India, under its National Mission on Interdisciplinary Cyber-Physical Systems and hosted by IIT Madras.

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Designed to monitor the freshness of seafood in real-time by responding to pH changes, the film offers a practical solution for improving food safety and reducing waste.

This film detects the release of volatile amines, compounds typically associated with spoilage, and indicates food quality through visible color changes, say sources from NIT Rourkela.

These natural components make the film biodegradable, safe, and responsive, aligning with sustainability goals and offering a non-invasive way to assess seafood freshness.

Findings

The findings of this research have been published in the journal Food Packaging and Shelf Life in a paper co-authored by Prof. Preetam Sarkar (as the lead corresponding author), along with his research scholars, Mr. Rahul Thakur, Miss Harshi Singhi, Mr. Vedsagar Rajesh Suryavanshi, and Dr. Ravichandran Santhosh.

Other co-authors in this work include Dr. Khalid Gul from NIT Rourkela, Dr. Swarup Roy from Lovely Professional University, Dr. Srinivas Janaswamy from South Dakota State University, Brookings, USA and Dr. Kirtiraj K. Gaikwad from IIT Roorkee.

Fishing

India is the world’s second-largest fish-producing nation, contributing approximately 8% of global fish production, say NIT Rourkela researchers.

It also holds the distinction of being the top five producer of shrimp globally, with frozen shrimp being the top export commodity.

Given the scale and importance of seafood production, innovations that ensure freshness and reduce spoilage are of immense value, say NIT Rourkela researchers.

In this context, intelligent packaging systems, which preserve food while monitoring its quality, are rapidly gaining global interest.

Unlike conventional packaging that serves merely as a protective barrier, the intelligent packaging film developed by NIT Rourkela team offers visual cues about the product’s condition, making it a promising solution for enhancing food safety and reducing waste.

The beetroot peel extract was prepared separately, and then combined with the starch, gum tragacanth, and a small amount of glycerol to cast the films.

These were dried and tested for their pH-sensitivity and effectiveness in monitoring seafood freshness, said Prof Preetam of NIT Rourkela.

Pigments

Beetroot peels contain betalains, a group of pigments known for their bright colours and pH sensitivity, say NIT Rourkela researchers.

These pigments also offer antioxidant and antimicrobial benefits, making them suitable for food-related applications.

Incorporating these natural compounds into the starch-based film creates a biodegradable, safe, and responsive packaging material.

When the seafood begins to spoil and pH levels rise, the film changes colour, providing a clear visual indicator of freshness.

Starch

The choice of Kodo millet starch and gum tragacanth contributes to the film’s biodegradable and eco-friendly profile.

Kodo millet is an underutilised grain with excellent film-forming properties, while gum tragacanth enhances the mechanical strength and flexibility of the material.

The researchers believe that using such agricultural by-products not only supports sustainability but also adds value to food processing waste, such as beetroot peels.

At the laboratory scale, the cost of producing the film was estimated approximately Rs. 900 per kilogram.

When scaled up for industrial production, the cost is projected to range between Rs. 400 and Rs. 600 per kilogram, making it a potentially viable option for commercial use.

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