Meesho Teams Up with IISc to Boost Generative AI Research

Leading online marketplace Meesho has entered into a one-year memorandum of understanding (MoU) with the Vision & AI Lab (VAL) of the Indian Institute of Science (IISc) to propel research in generative AI and drive technological advancements in the e-commerce industry. 

Over the years, the leading online marketplace platform has used AI and analytics to revolutionise the way we shop. As part of the MoU, Meesho's data scientists will collaborate with leading researchers from the Vision & AI Lab at IISc. Together, they will concentrate on developing multimodal representation learning and generative AI capabilities to make a significant impact on the e-commerce industry. The research efforts will also aim to assist Meesho in creating solutions that enhance the e-commerce experience for its users. 

“At Meesho, AI and ML are fundamental components to solve a wide range of problems across every aspect of an e-commerce platform,”  Debdoot Mukherjee, chief data scientist, and head of AI and demand engineering at Meesho told AIM in an earlier conversation. 

Generative AI and multimodal large language models (LLMs) are crucial technologies in the e-commerce industry. The 60-member data science team is actively exploring the use of generative AI in different areas such as recommendation systems. Now the data scientists will also benefit from the mentorship of distinguished experts in the domains of generative AI and multimodal LLMs from IISc. 

Meesho, an e-commerce platform, leverages AI and ML to engage users and enhance their experience. Their personalized feeds and push notifications are powered by AI and ML algorithms. Recommendations play a vital role, with a substantial number of orders coming through ML and deep learning-powered recommendation systems. These recommendations are based on user and product analysis using computer vision and NLP models. Meesho also supports suppliers by offering automated cataloguing using computer vision models and assists them in optimizing pricing through ML-driven suggestions. They employ large-scale ML models for order efficiency, customer issue resolution, fraud detection, and prevention. They use TensorFlow, PyTorch, XGBoost, and Databricks for model training, data engineering, and infrastructure. Additionally, Meesho develops custom tools, including a shopping intent detection model, product cataloguing models, and a proprietary fraud detection system to combat various types of fraud.

On the other hand, a while ago, Honeywell Hometown Solutions India Foundation (HHSIF), a philanthropic organisation affiliated with Honeywell, teamed up with the Society of Innovation and Development (SID) at IISc to assist deep-tech startups. This collaboration aims to help startups progress from the initial incubation stage to receiving early seed investments. In a similar vein, Samsung Semiconductor India Research (SSIR) has recently joined forces with the IISc to advance research and development in on-chip Electrostatic Discharge (ESD) Protection within India's semiconductor industry.

Read more: Data Science Hiring Process at Meesho