The Indian Institute of Technology, Kharagpur (IITKGP) has announced plans to set up India’s first dedicated academic school focused on Physical Artificial
Intelligence (AI) with an investment worth Rs 35 crore. The school will be named 'Benjamin Gupta School of Physical AI'. This new school will be laid under a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) signed by IIT Kharagpur, its alumnus and philanthropist Vinod Gupta, and the IITKGP Foundation USA. This project will receive a contribution of Rs 12.5 crore from alumnus Vinod Gupta's family and Rs 10 crore from an anonymous alumnus, while IIT Kharagpur will provide the remaining funds. The institute added that the new school will work in areas such as physics-informed machine learning, scientific AI, digital twins, intelligent robotics, autonomous systems, advanced sensing and AI-based experimentation. AI The school will also focus on developing AI systems that are reliable, explainable and responsible, particularly for applications where accuracy and safety are important. Academic programmes in this school are expected to begin from the upcoming academic session, subject to the necessary approvals. The proposed programmes will cater to students, researchers and working professionals from engineering, physical sciences, life sciences and medicine, with a special focus on combining domain knowledge with modern AI skills. Unlike conventional AI, which primarily focuses on data, algorithms and digital systems, this Physical AI school will aim to develop intelligent systems capable of understanding and interacting with the physical world. It integrates AI with scientific principles, real-world sensing and intelligent control, IIT Kharagpur stated in an official statement. The school will also partner with industry, healthcare institutions, research laboratories, startups and international partners to promote research, technology development and professional reskilling in Physical AI, the official statement said.
IIT Kharagpur Director Suman Chakraborty said the school aims to take AI beyond its role as a “black-box” technology by combining algorithmic capabilities with fundamental scientific and domain-specific knowledge.
(With inputs from PTI)
