IIT Kharagpur launches Vikram Sodhi Centre of Excellence to boost data-driven innovation in mining sector

The Indian Institute of Technology Kharagpur (IIT Kharagpur) has launched a Vikram Sodhi Centre of Excellence for AI-Enabled Geological and Mining systems. The centre is established to advance data-driven innovation in the mining sector.

Vikram Sodhi, vice chairman of Mineros SA and management partner of Sun Valley Investment, will infuse around Rs 15 crore in the centre of excellence over the next five years, according to an official statement.

The centre will focus on developing artificial intelligence systems aligned with the Indian geological conditions and will be conceived as a national platform for integrated research, the statement reads.

Explaining IIT Kharagpur’s objective behind the establishment of the new centre, Suman Chakraborty, director, IIT Kharagpur, said: “The establishment of the Vikram Sodhi Centre of Excellence marks a significant strengthening of IIT Kharagpur’s interdisciplinary research ecosystem. In the Institute’s Platinum Jubilee year, this initiative reflects IIT Kharagpur’s continued leadership in advancing collaborative, application-driven research.”

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IIT Kharagpur: Grand Challenges Programme in mining

The centre will be equipped with Industry-linked grand challenges programme to utilise real-world datasets provided by industry partners. The programme is designed to ensure that research outputs are directly deployable and relevant to mining contexts.

“By integrating geological sciences, mining engineering, and artificial intelligence, the Centre is well positioned to address complex national challenges through innovation and crossdisciplinary engagement. The Centre is envisioned as an enduring institution built on the strength of its research and intellectual contributions,” Chakraborty added.

The centre will build cohesive, mining-native AI systems that will support exploration, planning, operations, safety, and environmental management within a unified framework, IIT Kharagpur director said.

“The Centre follows a proven institutional model similar to that of the Robert Bosch Centre for Data Science and AI at IIT Madras, demonstrating the impact of industry-supported, interdisciplinary research ecosystems in addressing national priorities,” IIT Kharagpur said in an official statement.

“The Centre'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 added.