Tamil Nadu Creates Dedicated AI Ministry in Cabinet Reshuffle

Tamil Nadu has become the second state in India to establish a dedicated ministry for artificial intelligence, following a cabinet expansion by Chief Minister C Joseph Vijay.

The Artificial Intelligence, Information Technology, and Digital Services portfolio will be headed by R Kumar, a Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK) legislator from the Velachery assembly constituency.

The move makes Tamil Nadu one of the first states in the country to carve out a separate AI-focused department, on the lines of a model introduced in Kerala.

TVK's manifesto, released in April, set a target of ₹1.5 lakh crore for Tamil Nadu’s economy by 2036 and promised India's first dedicated Ministry of Artificial Intelligence, an AI university, and an AI city to position Tamil Nadu as the AI capital of India. The manifesto also spoke of innovation centres in Madurai, Coimbatore, Salem, and Tiruchy, with a stated target of nurturing 1,000 deeptech companies.

The technology proposals were tied to employment. 

TVK pledged five lakh annual internships with stipends, a fixed timetable for government recruitment examinations, and monthly assistance for unemployed graduates registered with employment offices. Free AI-enabled competitive exam preparation centres are also part of the plan, intended to help students in smaller towns prepare for UPSC, engineering entrances, and bank examinations without the cost of private coaching in Chennai.

The manifesto's proposals span a range of sectors, including AI in agriculture for crop advisory, AI in public hospital diagnostics, and AI in government services to reduce paperwork and speed up the delivery of certificates and benefits.