Atul Anand, Additional Chief Secretary AI, IT and Digital Services Department, addressing a conference in Madurai on Friday.
| Photo Credit: G. MOORTHY
CII Madurai Zone has submitted a proposal to the State government for establishing a Centre of Excellence for Artificial Intelligence in Madurai with the objective of strengthening the city’s ecosystem for startups, research, innovation, industry collaboration and technology development.
The preliminary proposal was submitted at the CII Connect Madurai 2026 conference held in Madurai on Friday on the theme ‘Building the AI Future of Tamil Nadu’.
Addressing the gathering, Additional Chief Secretary of Artificial Intelligence, Information Technology and Digital Services Department, Atul Anand, highlighted the government’s initiatives to leverage AI as a force multiplier and promote startups, research, deep-tech innovation and responsible use of emerging technologies.
He also highlighted the government’s focus on AI-related policies, ethical use of AI, data sharing and governance, skill development, digital public service delivery and the proposed development of an AI City.
Vice-Chairman of CII Tamil Nadu State Council and Chairman of CII Tamil Nadu Connect 2026 J. Murugavel said AI is no longer a future trend but a technology that is already transforming businesses. He emphasised the potential to create new business models and opportunities through AI while preparing the workforce for the changing nature of employment and technology.
Co-Chair of CII Southern Region Taskforce on AI Adoption and Responsible Deployment B. Subburaman said Madurai should build on its existing strengths in the manufacturing, software, embedded technologies, industrial automation and engineering to move towards the creation of intellectual property and technology-led products.
Discussions at the conference highlighted the potential of Madurai’s existing technology ecosystem, with the city having around 200 IT companies and a significant pool of IT professionals. The importance of connecting industry with educational institutions to strengthen market-oriented skills, research and innovation, while creating opportunities for startups and young technology professionals was emphasised.
Chairman of CII Madurai Zone Rajiv S Jeyabalan; Chair of CII Madurai Connect 2026 S.M. Manikandan; Vice-Chairman of CII Madurai Zone Balaji Venkataraman and others were present at the conference.
Published – September 25, 2026 10:56 pm IST
