Centre plans three AI data centres in Bengal

Kolkata: The Union government plans to set up artificial intelligence (AI) data centres in collaboration with state governments and has already decided to establish three such centres in West Bengal, S. Krishnan, Secretary, Union Ministry of Electronics & Information Technology, said on Saturday.

Krishnan said the project would require an investment of Rs 20 crore, of which the Centre would contribute Rs 8 crore. He added that the Union government has appealed to state governments and the private sector to partner in the initiative.

Speaking at a special session titled Unleashing the Power of AI in Business, organised by the Merchants’ Chamber of Commerce & Industry, Krishnan highlighted India’s strong AI ecosystem, noting that around 6,000 existing datasets are already driving AI-based models in the country.

He pointed out that nearly 60 per cent of AI adoption in India is focused on business development, a figure higher than in many other countries.

Emphasising the potential of AI for micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs), Krishnan said chambers of commerce have a critical role to play in ensuring AI adoption among smaller businesses.

Krishnan also announced that the India AI Impact Summit 2026 would be held later this year. He said India could emerge as the world’s hub for AI applications and use cases through frugal innovation. IITs and other educational institutions, he added, are already working on building foundational AI models.

Echoing the optimism, Debashis Sen, founder and director of NBC Ltd, said MSMEs derive the highest return on investment from AI adoption.

He added that West Bengal has the intellectual capital to leverage AI, which could act as a significant economic multiplier for the state.