Google has announced an $8 million investment to establish four new artificial intelligence Centres of Excellence in India, alongside fresh research collaborations and healthcare-focused AI initiatives, reinforcing its long-term commitment to strengthening the country’s AI ecosystem. The announcement was made at the Lab to Impact dialogue during the India AI Impact Summit 2026 in New Delhi and marks a significant expansion of Google’s engagement with India’s academic, public sector, and healthcare institutions.
The four Centres of Excellence will be anchored at leading Indian institutes, each addressing critical national priorities. TANUH at the Indian Institute of Science (IISc), Bengaluru will focus on non-communicable diseases, while the Airawat Research Foundation at the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Kanpur will work on AI-led solutions for urban governance. The AI Centre of Excellence for Education at IIT Madras aims to advance learning outcomes through AI, and ANNAM.AI at IIT Ropar will concentrate on agriculture, food systems, and farmer welfare.
Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan highlighted the broader national significance of the initiative, stating, “India is approaching AI as a strategic national capability, not as a short-term technology trend. The four AI Centres of Excellence have been conceived as a coordinated national research mission, advancing foundational research, responsible AI, and applied solutions that serve public purpose, and contributing to our larger aspiration of Viksit Bharat 2047”.
Beyond the Centres of Excellence, Google announced a $2 million founding grant to establish the Indic Language Technologies Research Hub at IIT Bombay. The hub is expected to accelerate research and development in Indian language technologies, a critical area for improving AI accessibility and inclusion across the country’s diverse linguistic landscape.
Healthcare emerged as another major focus area. Google will provide $400,000 to support collaborative research using its MedGemma models to build health-focused AI systems aimed at improving patient outcomes. As part of this effort, startup AjnaLens will partner with AIIMS to explore dermatology and patient assessment use cases, while researchers at IISc will study broader clinical applications of the technology.
In parallel, Google is working with the National Health Authority to modernise unstructured medical records by converting them into internationally recognised standards. These initiatives form part of Google’s wider push to deepen its AI footprint in India, following its $15 billion AI data centre investment announced in October 2025, and signal a growing emphasis on applied, responsible, and locally relevant AI innovation.
