Hyderabad: The Telangana government on Thursday entered into agreements with various AI firms which are part of the Centre’s ‘Revv Up’ programme to strengthen state-based startups. Some of the firms which entered a partnership with the state government under its Telangana AI Mission (T-AIM) programme include E2E Networks, GINSEP, and Banana IP Counsels.
The Telangana AI Mission is an initiative set up under the auspices of the Emerging Technologies Wing of the state government’s IT department. Speaking of the collaboration AI firms, principal secretary (IT) Jayesh Ranjan said, “Hyderabad’s steady ascendency into the Top 100 emerging startup ecosystems globally is a testament to our commitment and efforts towards building a vibrant innovator ecosystem in the state. I’m hopeful that these partnerships will empower startups and their abilities to create impact at scale.”
The ‘Revv Up’ accelerator initiative of central government aims at supporting startups through various opportunities to build scalable businesses using artificial intelligence. In the month of August this year, around 42 startups from across the country benefited from the programme, stated a press release from Telangana IT minister K. T. Rama Rao’s (KTR) office on Thursday.
In order to strengthen the state-based start-ups, the Telangana government recently entered into a partnership with E2E Networks, which will support the ventures, by providing access to high-performance AI computing on cloud infrastructure.
Speaking on the occasion, Tarun Dua, CEO of E2E Networks said, “Our goal is to provide state of the art in Cloud GPU infrastructure at affordable prices for startups to help advance innovation using AI.” Apart from E2E networks, other firms which will support Telangana-based start-ups include the German-Indian Startup Exchange Program (GINSEP) and Toronto Business Development Centre, which will assist the state government to provide an international platform for the ventures.
These firms are expected to provide a soft landing, market awareness, and opportunities to interested start-ups. Julian Zix, Project Lead, GINSEP said, “We are really excited about this collaboration with T-AIM. We see tremendous potential for Indian AI startups in Germany, and the collaboration will provide smooth landing in Germany through our network.”
As part of the ‘Revv Up’ program, the startup cohort will also receive mentoring and advice from senior industry professionals who have held leadership positions in their past. As on today, more than 10 individuals have agreed to support and guide the cohort, the release added.
Banana IP Counsels, the largest Intellectual Property Rights firm, has also entered an agreement with the government, which will provide knowledge and support to the AI startups as they could face challenges regarding the complexities of protecting and harvesting innovation.