IBM and Manipal Academy of Higher Education (MAHE) have launched an artificial intelligence research and computing lab at MAHE’s Bengaluru campus, adding to a growing pool of industry-backed infrastructure aimed at giving students and researchers access to high-performance computing.
The IBM-MIT AI Lab, also called MAHE Intelligence GPU (MIG), will house a GPU-enabled high-performance computing (HPC) facility capable of supporting up to 30 computing workloads simultaneously, according to the companies.
The facility will be used for research across machine learning, deep learning, generative AI, computer vision, natural language processing, cybersecurity, healthcare, and data analytics.
“MIG is primarily a collaboration between industry and academia, looking at how this next-gen technology, or the requirement for compute power, can actually be leveraged by students,” Iven Jose, Director, MIT Bengaluru, told AIM.
According to Jose, the MIG lab is built around eight NVIDIA H200 GPU stacks. The facility will be used for research across machine learning, deep learning, generative AI, computer vision, natural language processing, cybersecurity, healthcare, and data analytics.
The launch comes as access to AI compute has emerged as a key bottleneck for researchers, startups, and educational institutions seeking to build and train AI systems.
The Centre's infrastructure is expected to be used not only by MAHE students and faculty but also as part of programmes aimed at institutions beyond the campus.
Under the partnership, IBM and MIT Bengaluru will also run an AI learning initiative through IBM SkillsBuild, the company's free technology education programme. It will include workshops, bootcamps, hands-on AI and machine learning training, digital credentials and mentorship.
The programme is intended to reach students from tier-2 and tier-3 institutions.
IBM and MAHE intend to make the Bengaluru lab an industry-academia platform. It will support industry-sponsored projects, interdisciplinary research, faculty development, student innovation, hackathons, internships, startup incubation, and joint technology development.
“India stands at a pivotal moment in its AI journey,” IBM India and South Asia Managing Director Sandip Patel said in a statement, adding that stronger collaboration between talent, research, advanced computing and industry would be needed to build India's AI ecosystem.
Priyank Kharge, Cabinet Minister for Home, IT & BT, e-Governance, Government of Karnataka, said the collaboration would strengthen the state's AI ecosystem by providing students and researchers access to advanced infrastructure and hands-on learning.
"By providing access to advanced AI infrastructure, hands-on learning, and resources, the lab will empower students and researchers to accelerate innovation and develop AI-driven solutions that address societal challenges and contribute to inclusive growth," said Kharge.
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