Mumbai: Maharashtra has launched India’s first industry-oriented “AI Living Lab,” an initiative designed to support both large industrial groups and micro, small, and medium enterprises (MSMEs) through applied artificial intelligence solutions. The facility was inaugurated by Skill Development Minister Mangal Prabhat Lodha at the headquarters of Maharashtra State Ratan Tata Skill University, marking a major step in strengthening the state’s industrial innovation ecosystem in collaboration with Germany.
MoUs Signed in Presence of German Dignitaries, State Officials
Several Memoranda of Understanding related to the initiative were signed during a ceremony attended by Germany’s Parliamentary State Secretary Bärbel Kofler, Maharashtra Chief Secretary Rajesh Agrawal, Additional Chief Secretary Manisha Verma, Vice Chancellor Apoorva Palkar, German Consul General Christoph Heller, and GIZ Director Ulrike Ebeling, among other dignitaries.
Addressing the gathering, Lodha highlighted India’s long-standing technological capabilities and said that under Prime Minister Narendra Modi, the country has strengthened its focus on self-reliance alongside global cooperation. He noted that integrating advanced AI technologies into domestic industries would reinforce indigenous enterprises and support India’s emergence as a global knowledge leader, adding that Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis has guided multiple skill development initiatives generating employment and self-employment opportunities for youth.
AI Can Drive Innovation in Healthcare, Education, Industry
Kofler emphasised the transformative potential of artificial intelligence in addressing complex scientific and societal challenges, stating that responsible and collaborative AI adoption can drive innovation across healthcare, education, and industry while accelerating structural transformation in the global economy.
Chief Secretary Agrawal described AI as a new industrial revolution reshaping organisational systems and work culture worldwide, particularly among younger generations rapidly embracing emerging technologies.
Lab to Provide Students Hands-On Exposure to Live Industry Projects
Vice Chancellor Palkar explained that the Living Lab model promotes structured collaboration between industry, academia, and government to solve real-world industrial problems. The initiative will provide students with hands-on exposure to live industry projects, analytical training, and opportunities to develop implementable AI-driven solutions. The Lab is being jointly implemented with Leipzig University and the SEPT Competence Center, with support from German industry partners to enable knowledge exchange and technology transfer.
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