Kolkata, Apr 17 (PTI) The Indian Institute of Technology-Kharagpur has announced the establishment of the Vikram Sodhi Centre of Excellence for AI-enabled geological and mining systems, an interdisciplinary research initiative aimed at advancing data-driven innovation in the mining sector.
The centre has been launched with a funding commitment of Rs 15 crore over five years from Vikram Sodhi, Vice Chairman of Mineros SA and Managing Partner of Sun Valley Investments, the institute said in a statement on Friday.
Conceived as a national platform for integrated research, the facility will focus on developing artificial intelligence systems tailored to Indian geological conditions.
While digital tools have been introduced across segments of the mining industry, their fragmented deployment has limited the sector’s ability to achieve comprehensive transformation, it said.
The centre seeks to address this gap by building cohesive, mining-native AI systems that support exploration, planning, operations, safety, and environmental management within a unified framework, the statement said.
The facility’s research activities will span the full mining value chain, integrating domains such as exploration, mine planning, processing, predictive maintenance, and ESG analytics into a unified intelligence system, it said.
A key feature of the centre is its industry-linked grand challenges programme, which will utilise real-world datasets provided by industry partners, the institute said.
“The establishment of the Vikram Sodhi Centre of Excellence marks a significant strengthening of IIT-Kharagpur’s interdisciplinary research ecosystem,” its Director Prof Suman Chakraborty said.
“By integrating geological sciences, mining engineering, and artificial intelligence, the centre is well-positioned to address complex national challenges through innovation and cross-disciplinary engagement,” Chakraborty added. PTI SUS RBT
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