The Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology has awarded the IndiaAI Fellowship to seven Computer Science Engineering students at Chandigarh University for their innovative projects in artificial intelligence and machine learning. Each recipient will receive financial assistance of Rs 1 lakh to develop their proposals, which span domains such as disaster response, traffic management, geospatial intelligence, and education technology. The fellowship is part of the IndiaAI Mission’s FutureSkills pillar, designed to build a skilled AI workforce by supporting students working on AI-related projects at academic institutions across the country.
The IndiaAI Fellowship Programme
The IndiaAI Fellowship is a key initiative under the FutureSkills pillar of the larger IndiaAI Mission. It was launched to bridge the gap between theoretical knowledge gained in classrooms and the practical application of artificial intelligence in solving real-world problems. The programme targets undergraduate and postgraduate students pursuing AI-related projects at recognised engineering institutions across India.
For B.Tech students, the fellowship provides Rs 1 lakh in financial support, disbursed in three instalments over the duration of their project. M.Tech students receive Rs 2 lakh, paid in four tranches. Eligible candidates must be enrolled full-time, have completed at least three AI-related courses, and possess a minimum of 80% marks or equivalent grade in their last completed semester. Nominations are submitted by the institutions, with endorsements from the supervising professor and the head of the department.
The first tranche of the fellowship was disbursed to 130 B.Tech and 40 M.Tech students across the country by December 2024. The programme has since expanded, with engineering institutes regularly nominating students working on innovative AI applications.
Seven Students from Chandigarh University
The seven recipients from Chandigarh University represent a range of engineering specialisations within the computer science domain. Five of them are pursuing B.Tech in Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning: Shreyam Sinha, Harpreet Singh, Ashirvad Satyendra Singh, Kriti Upadhyay, and Muskan. The remaining two include Saurav Yadav, a B.Tech student in Computer Science and Business Systems, and Shubham Bajaj, a B.Tech student in Gaming and Graphics.
Their research projects showcase the breadth of AI applications across different problem areas. These include deep learning-based real-time traffic violation detection, disaster response systems, geospatial intelligence tools, AI-powered emergency support platforms, educational technology solutions, and a deep neural network for real-time yoga pose correction. Shubham Bajaj’s project focuses on developing an AI-powered dialogue system for role-playing games that generates realistic, context-aware, and adaptive conversations.
The selection of seven students from a single institution highlights the growing research ecosystem at Chandigarh University and its focus on emerging technologies. It also reflects the competitive nature of the fellowship, which drew nominations from engineering colleges across the country.
IndiaAI Mission: Building a National AI Ecosystem
The IndiaAI Fellowship operates within the broader framework of the IndiaAI Mission, a flagship initiative of the Government of India approved by the Union Cabinet on 7 March 2024. With a total outlay of Rs 10,371.92 crore over five years, the mission is implemented by the IndiaAI Independent Business Division (IBD) under the Digital India Corporation (DIC), which functions under the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology.
The mission is built around seven interconnected pillars:
| Pillar | Purpose |
|---|---|
| IndiaAI Compute Capacity | Provides high-end AI computing infrastructure with graphics processing units (GPUs) at subsidised rates |
| IndiaAI Innovation Centre | Develops and deploys indigenous large multimodal models and domain-specific foundational models |
| IndiaAI Datasets Platform | Streamlines access to quality non-personal datasets for AI innovation |
| IndiaAI Application Development Initiative | Promotes AI applications in critical sectors through problem statements from ministries and state departments |
| IndiaAI FutureSkills | Expands AI education at undergraduate, postgraduate, and PhD levels; sets up Data and AI Labs in Tier 2 and 3 cities |
| IndiaAI Startup Financing | Provides financial support to deep-tech AI startups |
| Safe and Trusted AI | Ensures responsible development, deployment, and adoption of AI through guidelines and frameworks |
Since its launch, the mission has expanded its computing infrastructure from an initial target of 10,000 GPUs to 38,000 GPUs, making affordable AI compute available at subsidised rates. The Union Budget for 2025-26 allocated Rs 2,000 crore to the mission, a significant increase from the revised estimate of Rs 173 crore in 2024-25, reflecting the government’s growing commitment to building India’s AI capabilities.
Key Takeaways
- The IndiaAI Fellowship is awarded under the FutureSkills pillar of the IndiaAI Mission to support students pursuing AI and ML projects.
- The Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY) awarded the fellowship to 7 CSE students at Chandigarh University for the 2025-26 cycle.
- Each recipient receives Rs 1 lakh in financial assistance for their AI and machine learning projects.
- The IndiaAI Mission was approved by the Union Cabinet on 7 March 2024 with a total outlay of Rs 10,371.92 crore over five years.
- The mission is implemented by the IndiaAI Independent Business Division (IBD) under the Digital India Corporation (DIC).
- The Union Budget 2025-26 allocated Rs 2,000 crore to the IndiaAI Mission.
