Patna: Bihar has taken a significant step towards expanding its footprint in artificial intelligence, with a high-level committee recommending the establishment of a Mega AI Centre of Excellence at the IIT Patna campus in Bihta.
The proposal was discussed at the second meeting of the Bihar AI Mission on Wednesday, chaired by the state’s chief secretary Pratyaya Amrit. The meeting focused on strengthening AI infrastructure and outlining a roadmap for integrating artificial intelligence into governance, research and industry.
According to officials, around 11 acres of land have been identified at the Bihta campus for the proposed centre. The project is estimated to cost approximately Rs 60 crore, with Rs 24 crore each to be contributed by the Government of India and the Government of Bihar, and Rs 12 crore expected from industry partners. The proposal has been recommended for further consideration.
Indian Institute of Technology Patna has been recommended as the academic partner for the initiative, citing its growing global presence in AI and machine learning research, experienced faculty and established startup incubation ecosystem. The centre is envisioned as a centralised, state-of-the-art hub designed to optimise resources and enhance the quality of AI research and training in Bihar. Its proximity to Patna and transport connectivity were also highlighted as advantages.
The committee also recommended Tiger Analytics as the industry partner for the mission. The global analytics firm, which was recently named Enterprise AI Partner of the Year 2025 by Databricks, operates across the US, Europe and India and works with multinational brands including PepsiCo, McDonald’s and Nestlé. The company, which has annual revenues of around $380m and more than 7,000 employees, is led by CEO Mahesh Kumar Jain, who hails from Bihar.
Officials said funds allocated for the centre would be used to develop high-performance computing infrastructure, procure advanced AI tools and platforms, support operational costs and build skilled manpower.
Addressing the meeting, chief Secretary Pratyaya Amrit said Bihar was moving beyond traditional infrastructure development towards building a knowledge economy. “The use of AI is not merely a technological shift; it will become a powerful tool for good governance,” he said. He outlined potential applications including flood forecasting, crop disease identification to boost agricultural productivity, healthcare delivery in remote areas, and data-driven decision-making in public administration.
The chief secretary directed departments to prepare a comprehensive strategy and implementation roadmap before the next review meeting to ensure work begins without delay.
The meeting also noted that Bihar will set up a pavilion at the AI Impact Summit in New Delhi from February 16 to 20, 2026, signalling the state’s intent to play a larger role in national and global AI discussions.
Senior officials from the education, agriculture, urban development, health and industries departments attended the meeting, along with representatives from the technology sector including Mahesh Kumar of Tiger Analytics, Harshvardhan Kumar of Avisys Technologies, Sopnendu Mohanty of GFTN, and Prof Pritam Kumar of IIT Patna.
