Nagpur to Host IBM-Backed AI Centre, Transform State’s Digital Future

Nagpur: The city is poised to emerge as a national epicentre of Artificial Intelligence research, with the Maharashtra government executing a new agreement with IBM Technology (India) on Tuesday to establish a Centre of Excellence dedicated to sophisticated AI development. The collaboration follows close on the heels of a similar accord inked with Microsoft earlier this month, underscoring the state's vigorous push to integrate AI across public systems and services.
The new IBM-backed facility in Nagpur will concentrate on pioneering AI research and the implementation of IBM's proprietary MARVEL (Monitoring, Accountability, Regulation, Vigilance, Enforcement, and Legality) platform, aimed at enhancing administrative efficiency, enabling sophisticated governance, and cultivating industrial innovation. It constitutes part of a tri-city initiative, which will also see AI centres established in Mumbai and Pune — each with a specialised mandate.
Whilst Nagpur will spearhead research and development, Mumbai's centre will focus on geographical data analytics for utilisation in urban planning and disaster response. Pune's unit will be oriented towards forensic science and justice delivery, incorporating AI tools into crime-solving and legal investigations.
Announcing the initiative, chief minister Devendra Fadnavis characterised Nagpur as ‘Maharashtra's rising digital nerve centre', and indicated the initiative was aimed at making public services "swifter, more intelligent and more citizen-oriented."
The AI centres will function not only as research hubs but also as training platforms. Government officials, students, and MSME operators across the state will obtain access to IBM's upskilling modules in AI, cybersecurity, and cloud computing. "This collaboration exemplifies how public-private partnerships can drive digital transformation at scale," said IBM managing director Sandeep Patel.
The accord ensures that all AI models and platforms developed under the initiative will remain under the complete ownership of the Maharashtra government, addressing persistent concerns around data sovereignty and local governance. The utilisation of AI in areas such as virtual assistance, identity verification, and predictive analytics will also be integrated into essential public services.
With IBM and Microsoft now secured, and multiple centres of excellence in development, Maharashtra govt appears to be establishing the state as a national benchmark for responsible, citizen-centric AI governance — with Nagpur at its helm.