From Our Correspondent
Amaravati: Andhra Pradesh has strengthened its push to become a national hub for artificial intelligence and deep technology by launching two AI Centres of Excellence (AI CoEs) in Amaravati and Visakhapatnam. The centres are designed to provide early-stage startups with access to high-performance GPU computing, AI sandboxes, specialised mentoring, and commercialisation support.
The twin facilities have been established under the Ratan Tata Innovation Hub (RTIH) with support from the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY) and the Andhra Pradesh Department of Information Technology, Electronics & Communications (ITE&C). The initiative will be implemented in collaboration with the Andhra Pradesh Innovation Society (APIS).
According to P. Dhatri Reddy, CEO of RTIH and APIS, the centres are intended to bridge the gap between cutting-edge research and commercial innovation by providing startups with advanced computing infrastructure, industry partnerships, market access and commercialisation assistance.
“The twin centres will strengthen collaboration among academia, industry and research institutions while positioning Andhra Pradesh as a preferred destination for AI-driven innovation,” she said.
One of the biggest challenges faced by AI startups is access to expensive Graphics Processing Units (GPUs), which are essential for training and deploying large AI models. The new AI CoEs will make high-performance GPU computing infrastructure available to startups at a fraction of the cost, enabling entrepreneurs to build products in areas such as healthcare, manufacturing, agriculture, financial technology and robotics.
The centres will also offer structured incubation programmes, AI development sandboxes, API access, investor connect initiatives and mentorship from industry experts. Startup founders will receive guidance on technology development, intellectual property, product validation and market expansion.
Ananth Kumar, CEO of Bootstrap and Director (Incubation & Innovation) at SRM University-AP, said the focus should be on helping research-driven DeepTech ideas evolve into commercially viable businesses through stronger mentorship and technology transfer mechanisms. Meanwhile, Krishna Priya Akella, Founder and CEO of Starbuzz.ai, said access to GPU infrastructure, investors and market linkages would significantly accelerate the growth of AI startups.
Experts also stressed the importance of stronger collaboration between universities and industry. Ganesh Reddy Karri, Professor and Deputy Director at VIT-AP University’s Centre of Excellence, called for deeper industry-academia partnerships to translate research into market-ready technologies.
The launch of the AI Centres of Excellence complements Andhra Pradesh’s broader DeepTech strategy. In recent months, the state has announced major initiatives including the Amaravati Quantum Valley, AI-focused data centre investments around Visakhapatnam, AI skilling programmes, and partnerships with global technology companies. Together, these initiatives are aimed at positioning Andhra Pradesh as one of India’s leading destinations for artificial intelligence, quantum computing and advanced digital infrastructure.