IIT Kharagpur to Establish India's First Physical AI School

The Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Kharagpur is set to establish India’s first dedicated Physical AI school with an investment of Rs 35 crore. The school, to be named the Benjamin Gupta School of Physical AI, will be established under an MoU to be signed with IIT Kharagpur alumnus and philanthropist Vinod Gupta and IITKGP Foundation USA.

What is Physical AI?

Physical AI focuses on developing intelligent systems that can interact with and operate in the real world. It combines Artificial Intelligence with physical systems, sensors and control technologies to help machines understand and respond to their surroundings. On the contrary, conventional AI is mainly used to analyse data, identify patterns, generate content, and perform digital tasks.

Robotics research at IIT Kharagpur showing an intelligent robotic system used for advanced technology research. (Image Credit: Google)

Physical AI School: Key Research Areas

As per the announcement, the school will focus on different areas of artificial intelligence and scientific research.

• Physics-informed Machine Learning: Combining scientific laws and physical constraints into machine- learning models.  
• Scientific AI: Use of AI to support scientific investigation, analysis and discovery.  
• Digital Twins: Digital representation of physical systems to study their behaviour and test possible scenarios.  
• Intelligent Robotics: Making robots that can interpret their surroundings and respond to changing conditions.
• Autonomous Systems: Using technology that can perceive, make decisions, and work without human intervention.
• Advanced Sensing: Improving intelligent systems to gather and interpret information from the physical environment.
• AI-based Experimentation: Applying artificial intelligence to scientific experiments and research processes.

Physical AI School: Academic Programmes and Funding

Academic Programmes are expected to start in upcoming academic sessions, subject to the required approvals. However, details about the admission process and application deadlines have not yet been announced.

The school will offer programmes for students, researchers and working professionals from different fields such as:  

• Engineering
• Physical Sciences  
• Life Sciences
• Medicine

The school will be funded by the Vinod Gupta Family, an anonymous alumnus of IIT Kharagpur. The total investment is estimated at Rs 30 crore, of which Rs 12.5 crore will be contributed by the Vinod Gupta Family.

IIT Kharagpur students working together on a robotic prototype during a technology research project. (Image Credit: Google)

IIT Kharagpur Director Prof. Suman Chakraborty on Physical AI

IIT Kharagpur Director Prof. Suman Chakraborty said that while AI has changed the way people process information, its next phase will focus on understanding and interacting with the physical world. He said the Benjamin Gupta School of Physical AI aims to help India play a leading role in this field.

He added that the initiative will encourage professionals to combine AI technologies with scientific knowledge and expertise in their respective fields, rather than relying only on AI-based solutions.

The school also plans to collaborate with industry partners, healthcare institutions, research laboratories, startups and international organisations. These partnerships will support research, technology development and skill development in Physical AI.