Chennai: IIT Madras' Centre for Responsible AI (CeRAI) at the Wadhwani School of Data Science and Artificial Intelligence (WSAI) has partnered with Google and the Digital Futures Lab to launch a capacity-building programme aimed at training government officials in the development, procurement and scaling of responsible artificial intelligence systems.

The initiative was announced at the 'Conclave on Strengthening Human Capital for the AI Era', held at IIT Madras on Friday. The programme seeks to equip public sector officials with technical, operational and governance capabilities required for effective AI deployment in areas such as education, service delivery and digital governance.

The curriculum will focus on foundational AI technologies, evaluation of AI solutions for procurement, risk identification, governance frameworks and alignment with India's policy priorities. It will also help participants assess their departments' AI readiness through case studies, workshops and hands-on sessions.

B. Ravindran, Head, WSAI, IIT Madras, said responsible and inclusive AI was essential as systems increasingly influence decision-making. Google India Country Manager Preeti Lobana said the partnership aimed to embed safety and fairness at the core of India's digital transformation.

Digital Futures Lab Founder Urvashi Aneja said strengthening government capacity was key to India's leadership on responsible AI, particularly in the Global South.

The conclave serves as a pre-summit event to the India AI Impact Summit 2026.