Qualcomm makes strides in AI research with IIIT, Hyderabad

Qualcomm is making strides in fundamental AI research that will bring the core capabilities of AI – perception, reasoning, and action – to every device category, and then scale them across industries.

With the aim to democratize AI and bring this vision to life, Qualcomm announced it is providing the International Institute of Information Technology Hyderabad (IIITH) with a grant of $186,000 toward developing Edge AI use cases and AI models on Qualcomm platforms which will be led by Professor Ramesh Loganathan from IIITH.

The development kit, called the Qualcomm Innovators Development Kit (QIDK), is designed to help developers shorten their path to productivity by providing a package of hardware, software, and customer support built on the latest premium Snapdragon system-on-chip (SoC). This gives developers all the features, functions and performance of Snapdragon, all in one place.

This is the latest among Qualcomm’s ongoing initiatives to strengthen the R&D ecosystem in India and empower the brightest minds to advance the frontiers of cutting-edge technology. By bringing together and supporting some of the best minds in the tech domain, we’re pushing the boundaries and shaping the future of AI.

Quotes from the leadership on the collaboration:

Leendert van Doorn, Senior Vice President of Qualcomm Technologies, Inc. said, “Qualcomm and IIITH share the vision of a future where India is at the forefront of AI innovation, fueled by creativity, collaboration, and the relentless pursuit of excellence. Today’s announcement marks the beginning of a three-year journey of collaboration, research, and innovation for advancing Edge AI technologies. Qualcomm remains committed to providing the most promising innovators with the technologies and the expertise to shape not just India’s future but for the world.”

Shashi Reddy, Vice President, Engineering, at Qualcomm India Pvt. Ltd. said, “Our collaboration with IIITH will usher in an era where innovation flourishes. Together, we aim to unlock the vast potential of Indian R&D and cultivate a rich pool of Edge AI use cases and solutions. The synergy between Qualcomm and IIITH holds promise in empowering Indian universities and intellect in the years ahead.”

Prof P J Narayanan, Director, IIITH, said, “As AI gets more pervasive, AI on the edge will be the next frontier. We are very happy that Qualcomm is setting up an Edge AI lab at IIITH, that will now amplify the research efforts already underway.”

Prof C V Jawahar, Dean R&D, IIITH, said, “IIITH has had a very long association with Qualcomm on multiple areas right since its inception. This lab is yet another in this series and will help take our existing strengths in the Edge AI areas to new heights.”