During his address at the Global Startup Summit in Coimbatore on Friday, Tamil Nadu’s Information Technology Minister, Palanivel Thiaga Rajan, formally requested the Union government to establish a dedicated Centre of Excellence for Artificial Intelligence (AI) within Tamil Nadu.
Minister Rajan highlighted the State government’s proactive approach to integrating AI into its operations, emphasizing its potential to improve administrative efficiency. The government has already engaged various departments to identify specific services ripe for AI-driven automation.
“Our goal is to create an open AI data platform accessible to startups, empowering them to develop innovative models,” he stated. The IT Department has already rolled out four AI tools and is actively developing 26 more. These initiatives include practical applications like using AI in the ‘e-parvai’ app for cataract screening and in the ‘Uzhavan’ app to verify crop data entries.
Looking ahead, the Department is also planning to introduce WhatsApp-based governance, designed to complement existing e-seva centers. This system is envisioned to evolve into a comprehensive chatbot-driven interface, making government services more accessible.
With over 500 subsidy schemes and robust data available for 370 of them, the State government is committed to leveraging this wealth of information. Minister Rajan explained, “We aim to utilize high-quality data, refined approaches, and advanced automation to enhance the citizen-government interface significantly.” This strategic focus underscores Tamil Nadu’s dedication to improving public services through cutting-edge AI technology.