Persistent Systems Partners with IIT Kharagpur to Launch AI Innovation Lab

Persistent Systems has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Indian Institute of Technology, Kharagpur to establish an AI Innovation Lab within the Department of Computer Science and Engineering. Announced on May 5, 2026, the initiative aligns with Persistent's AI-first strategy and a shared "AI for All" vision to advance research, industry-academia collaboration, and future-ready talent development. Key Highlights: Focus Areas: Healthcare analytics, educational technology, and financial intelligence — sectors where AI can drive measurable social and commercial impact in India. Infrastructure: The Lab will host advanced computational, laboratory, and instructional capabilities to support both foundational research and applied AI development. Responsible AI: Emphasis on building robust, safe, and ethically grounded AI systems, bridging theory, engineering, and real-world deployment. Strategic Rationale: For Persistent Systems, the Lab serves as a long-term platform to: Strengthen AI Capability Stack: Develop reusable frameworks, domain-specific insights, and talent pipelines applicable across global client engagements. Deepen India-Centric Innovation: Address local challenges (e.g., affordable healthcare, vernacular edtech, financial inclusion) while building solutions with global relevance. Talent Pipeline: Engage directly with IIT KGP's premier CSE talent — supporting recruitment, upskilling, and collaborative R&D. For IIT Kharagpur, the partnership brings industry perspective into academia, exposing faculty and students to real-world problem statements, engineering discipline, and deployment-scale challenges. The Lab aims to: Nurture skilled AI talent equipped for global and local challenges Enable impactful, responsible research that bridges academia and industry Strengthen India's position in the global AI landscape through innovation rooted in Indian contexts