DEHRADUN – Union minister Jitendra Singh on Tuesday inaugurated a new Centre of Excellence for Artificial Intelligence, Skill Development and Innovation at Graphic Era University in Dehradun, calling for ethical safeguards in the use of emerging technologies.
Singh, who holds the independent charge of the science and technology ministry and also serves in the Prime Minister’s Office, told students and researchers that artificial intelligence (AI) could deliver major benefits if applied responsibly.
“AI can create miracles if used judiciously, but without integrity it can also be misused, as seen in the rise of deepfakes and misinformation. Integrity has no technological substitute,” he said.
The minister argued that AI should complement rather than replace human intelligence, advocating what he described as a hybrid model that combines machine capability with human judgement. He pointed to AI-enabled telemedicine vans deployed in rural India, where doctors and algorithms work together to deliver healthcare in remote villages.
First AI-HPC facility in Uttarakhand
According to the university, the new centre is the first in Uttarakhand to house a high-performance computing facility powered by NVIDIA’s DGX B200 system, equipped with eight GPUs and 1.74 terabytes of GPU memory. Officials said the ₹10 crore project will support research in healthcare, agriculture, the environment, smart cities and advanced industries.
The 150,000 sq ft facility also includes an Apple iOS Development Centre, set up in collaboration with Apple and Infosys. Graphic Era University said it intends the centre to serve as a hub for training students, fostering startups and conducting applied research.
The institution, ranked 48th in the National Institutional Ranking Framework 2025, has branded itself as India’s first “Generative AI Ready Campus” with support from Amazon Web Services.
Government focus on skills and innovation
University leaders said the initiative aligns with government programmes such as Digital India, Startup India and Skill India, which aim to build capacity in emerging technologies and promote entrepreneurship.
Singh echoed this point, arguing that India, once a late adopter of technologies such as television, now finds itself at the forefront of fields including space exploration and quantum research.
He said linking academic research with industry and startups was critical to sustaining momentum, particularly as AI becomes more deeply embedded in governance and citizen services.
The minister suggested AI could improve efficiency in grievance redressal systems, but added that accountability and transparency must remain central to its deployment.
“Every tool has a self-limiting utility if integrity is compromised. Only when we combine innovation with honesty can we truly shape India’s digital future,” he said.
AI adoption in India
The inauguration comes at a time when the union government has been stepping up its focus on AI. The Ministry of Electronics and IT has launched the IndiaAI mission to encourage development of domestic AI models and infrastructure, while NITI Aayog has projected that AI could add between $500 billion and $600 billion to India’s GDP by 2035 if adoption accelerates.
Several states, including Karnataka and Telangana, have also announced their own AI centres and policy frameworks. Experts note that such initiatives are intended to reduce reliance on imported technology and to build local expertise, though challenges remain in scaling compute capacity, ensuring data quality and training skilled personnel.
Graphic Era University said its new centre would contribute to addressing those challenges by preparing students for AI-driven careers and offering facilities to entrepreneurs.
For Singh, the emphasis was on combining rapid innovation with ethical safeguards. “Integrity has no technological substitute,” he said, reiterating that without accountability, technology alone cannot meet the expectations of citizens.
