Maharashtra and South Australia partner for tech growth

Mumbai, March 27 (IANS) In a move towards strengthening Maharashtra’s global partnerships in technology and innovation, IT Minister Ashish Shelar on Thursday met with South Australia Premier Peter Malinauskas, Australian Ambassador to India Philip Green and Australian Consul General Paul Murphy.

The discussions centered around fostering collaboration between South Australia and Maharashtra in the fields of Artificial Intelligence, Future Technologies, and Drone Manufacturing – two key pillars shaping Maharashtra’s IT vision for the future.

The meeting also saw Minister Shelar engaging in a brief game of cricket with the visiting Australian delegates, symbolising the deep-rooted cultural and sporting ties between India and Australia.

During the discussions, Minister Shelar highlighted the Maharashtra government’s ambitious initiative to establish a world-class AI & Future Technologies Centre of Excellence in Mumbai.

He sought the support of South Australia Premier Malinauskas to facilitate international collaboration between this proposed Centre and the University of Adelaide’s School of AI and Machine Learning, a globally recognised leader in the field.

Minister Shelar also briefed the South Australian Premier on Maharashtra’s drone policy and the state’s plans to set up a Drone Manufacturing Centre of Excellence at Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar.

He explored opportunities for collaboration with the University of South Australia in Drone Technology, Autonomous Systems, and Additive Manufacturing.

Recognising the Maharashtra government IT Ministry’s initiatives, South Australia Premier Malinauskas extended his full support for both projects.

He assured Minister Shelar that he would personally write to both universities to encourage closer academic, research and industry cooperation between South Australia and Maharashtra.

“The meeting concluded on a positive note, with Minister Shelar and Premier Malinauskas reaffirming the growing strategic partnership between South Australia and Maharashtra, opening new avenues for cutting-edge technological collaboration in the years to come,” said the release issued by the minister’s office.

–IANS

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