The Economic Times India reported:
The Indian Institute of Technology-Kharagpur (IIT-Kharagpur), one of India’s most prestigious technical institutions, has launched the Vikram Sodhi Centre of Excellence for AI-Enabled Geologic and Mining Systems.
The initiative features a funding commitment of INR 15 crore (INR 150 million or approximately USD $1.8 million) from Indian origin investor Vikram Sodhi, Managing Partner of Sun Valley Investments and Vice Chairman of the Board of Directors of Mineros S.A.
The center aims to drive the mining industry with data-driven innovations through interdisciplinary research methodologies. The primary goal is to transform the mining sector from being “data-rich, but information-poor,” integrating artificial intelligence into all operational stages to enhance productivity, safety, and environmental performance.
The center’s research is structured into five key areas:
- Exploration.
- Mine planning.
- Processing.
- Predictive maintenance.
- ESG (Environmental, Social, and Governance) analytics.
The research will allow for the unification of a system where data moves throughout the entire mine life cycle, instead of remaining isolated and limited to individual tools or corporate departments. The Vikram Sodhi Centre of Excellence will also conduct “Living Laboratories,” where mining companies will collaborate directly, sharing real operational and geological data from active mines, allowing research teams to develop and test AI models applied to real-world problems.
Click here for read the original article published in The Economic Times India