Jammu Tawi: Michelin, world’s tyre technology leader, announced its collaboration with the Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade (DPIIT), Ministry of Commerce and Industry to launch the sector’s first AI Startup Challenge, aiming to promote innovation and entrepreneurship.
The AI Challenge was launched in presence of Sanjiv, Joint Secretary DPIIT and Sumeet Kumar Jarangal, Director DPIIT and hosted by Dr Ambica Rajagopal, Michelin Group Chief Data and AI Officer and Shantanu Deshpande, Managing Director, Michelin India. A special recorded address was given by Rajesh Kumar Singh, Secretary DPIIT.
The AI Startup Challenge aims to select, mentor, and collaborate with leading AI startups in India. Hosted on the Startup India portal, this 12-week challenge invites startups to submit applications showcasing their capabilities. Selected startups will receive mentorship, and the top 8 will pitch at a demo day in Delhi in September 2024. The top 3 startups will receive paid pilot projects from Michelin, with upto INR 5 lakh per project, and the opportunity for long-term global contracts and incubation support from Michelin leadership. The AI challenge will go a long way in encouraging Indian Startups to co-build solutions in areas such as manufacturing, supply chain, operating software and infrastructure.
Rajesh Kumar Singh, Secretary, DPIIT shared, “Michelin and Startup India, through the AI Challenge, invite Indian startups to co-build technical solutions using large language models for business use cases. The Michelin AI Startup Challenge offers opportunities to develop solutions in manufacturing, supply chain, operating software, and infrastructure, leveraging AI and robotics to enhance manufacturing processes, improve product quality, boost safety, and reduce defects. This initiative aims to create sustainable products and expose Indian talent to global contexts and clients. I encourage all DPIIT-recognized startups to apply for the program and wish them the best.”
Sanjiv, Joint Secretary, DPIIT highlighted the importance of public private partnership and the key role that manufacturing companies like Michelin play in bringing the right set of resources to help elevate the entrepreneurial ecosystem of the country. He also focused on the Department’s commitment in empowering startups to scale their innovations and make a lasting impact on a global scale.Sumeet Kumar Jarangal, Director, DPIIT spoke about the importance of AI and the government’s focus on advanced manufacturing and automation. He congratulated the Michelin team for developing a program completely synergistic with the nation’s vision.Dr Ambica Rajagopal, Michelin Group Chief Data and AI Officer at Michelin India, expressed her excitement about the collaboration, stated, “There has never been a more exciting time for startups in the AI world and we are delighted to contribute significantly to advancing India’s technology sector. It is a proud moment for us to strengthen our commitment to the AI industry in collaboration with the government’s visionary Startup India initiative.”
Commenting on this initiative, Shantanu Deshpande Managing Director, Michelin India stated, “At Michelin, we are committed to a greener future where sustainability and innovation are at the forefront of our efforts. We eagerly anticipate the participation of Indian startups in the AI challenge as we co-build global solutions together.”
