THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Over 20 AI startups from Kerala have been selected to showcase their products at the International Gen AI Conclave in Kochi on July 11 and 12. This inaugural event in India is co-hosted by the Kerala government and IBM.
Anoop Ambika, CEO of Kerala Startup Mission (KSUM), stated, “The conclave will create business and growth opportunities for the companies. Our entrepreneurs will interact with national and international sector players and other stakeholders at the meet.” Ambika mentioned that participating startups might discover new markets, attract investors, or gain mentorship from tech leaders.
The conclave will discuss the impact of generative AI, challenges, and recent developments while exploring opportunities to use AI for India’s economic advancement and youth career growth. Highlights include panel discussions, interactive sessions, and product demos on deploying generative AI with trust and confidence.
The selected startups were chosen based on their pitches at the ‘IBM Watsonx Challenge,’ a virtual hackathon.
Industries Minister P. Rajeeve announced that the hackathon winner will receive a scale-up fund of up to ₹1 crore from KSIDC. “AI is a priority sector for the industries department. The GenAI conclave aims to transform Kerala into a major AI hub. We hope the state will become a preferred destination for hi-tech manufacturers in 10-15 years,” he said.
The conclave, held at Lulu Grand Hyatt Bolgatty International Convention Centre, will be attended by industry leaders, policy-makers, innovators, and academia from AI, defense, and software fields.
Former NASA astronaut and technology executive Steve Lee Smith will be the keynote speaker, presenting “Lessons Learned from A Skywalker” at 4:15 PM on July 11.
