Amid rising energy demand and growing climate challenges, a new collaboration aims to place sustainability at the core of India’s artificial intelligence journey. The initiative connects climate innovation with national digital transformation efforts while supporting long-term clean growth goals.
Google announced a partnership with the Office of the Principal Scientific Advisor (PSA) to the Government of India at the India AI Summit, launching the Google Center for Climate Technology on Manthan, the PSA’s flagship research and innovation platform. The move aligns climate technology with India’s expanding AI ambitions as the country addresses rapid urbanization, increasing energy needs, and climate vulnerability.
The Center is designed to act as a national catalyst for decarbonization and climate-focused deep technology research. It will provide access to sustainability-focused AI models and APIs while supporting collaborative research and talent development pipelines. By operating through Manthan, the initiative integrates climate innovation into government-backed research infrastructure.
The program will invite research proposals across 3 priority areas where AI can drive measurable environmental impact:
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building a green workforce equipped with skills for the climate transition
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sustainable aviation fuel research and deployment
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low-carbon construction materials to reduce emissions from urban expansion
Selected participants will receive support to develop AI-powered, data-driven solutions addressing environmental challenges in India and globally.
The focus reflects major global decarbonization challenges. Aviation remains difficult to decarbonize, while construction emissions continue to grow alongside infrastructure expansion. The initiative also highlights workforce development, aiming to create high-skill employment aligned with clean energy supply chains.
The collaboration forms part of Google’s broader sustainability investments in India. Through AI Hub initiatives and local partnerships adding 336 MW of clean energy capacity to the grid, the company is working to balance computing growth with renewable power expansion. Google also emphasized the role of agricultural AI models in strengthening resilience across food systems facing climate variability.
The initiative signals closer alignment between AI strategy, climate policy, and industrial competitiveness. It also demonstrates how public-private collaboration can accelerate research commercialization while embedding sustainability into next-generation technologies. With India’s scale and infrastructure growth, the Center positions the country as a testing ground for climate technologies applicable across emerging economies.
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