The Indian Institute of Technology Kharagpur has inaugurated the Vikram Sodhi Centre of Excellence for AI-Enabled Geological & Mining Systems, aimed at transforming India's mining operations through artificial intelligence. Funded with ₹15 crore (approximately $1.8 million USD) over five years by Vikram Sodhi, Vice Chairman of Mineros SA, the center will focus on five critical areas: exploration, mine planning, processing, predictive maintenance, and environmental, social, and governance (ESG) analytics.

This initiative seeks to address the prevalent issue in India's mining sector, often termed 'data-rich but information-poor,' by facilitating integrated data usage throughout the mining lifecycle. The program will introduce Industry-Linked Grand Challenges, allowing mining companies to share real operational data with researchers to develop AI models tailored to actual industry problems. Over the next five years, the center plans to deploy AI systems in active mines, publish applied research, and foster technology transfer through industry adoption or new ventures.

Operating as an independent unit within IIT Kharagpur, the center will follow a faculty-led governance model and will be guided by an external advisory board. The initiative also aims to create its own revenue streams by the end of the funding period, aligning with modern academic-industry collaboration trends.