KOCHI:
In a bid to reinforce Kerala’s presence in IT and new-generation technology on the international map, the state is holding the country’s first global conclave on artificial intelligence this monsoon, Industries Minister P. Rajeeve said today.
Being organized in association with IBM Software, the Generative AI Conference will be held at Kochi in July 11-12, he revealed, after conferring IBM Software Senior Vice-President (Products) Dinesh Nirmal with the first-ever Business Investment Promotion award in acknowledgement of his services to the state’s investment ecosystem.
The award is in special recognition of Nirmal’s efforts towards opening and enhancing the company’s services in Kochi over the past five months, enabling Kerala to be presented as an IT destination at the international level, the Minister said. Mr Nirmal is responsible for the company’s new products and innovation, besides its technology direction, location strategy and support and ecosystem development.
The July conclave, which will have higher-education institutions, startups and industries as partners, will be addressed by around 1,000 speakers of international repute, Rajeeve revealed.
Further, an International Robotics Conference will be held in August. “The idea is to make Kochi a global hub of IT and new-generation technology,” the Minister said.
Mr Nirmal, expressing pleasure in the government honour, said Kerala is of late witnessing a reverse brain-drain of IT professionals. “The return of each such hand will generate 10 jobs in the state,” he added.
The function was attended by Industries Director S. Harikishore, who is also Managing Director of KSIDC, and KSIDC General Manager Varghese Malakkaran.
