Indian government selects six firms to support AI projects by central ministries
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The Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY) has shortlisted six companies, including Tata Consultancy Services (TCS) and NEC India, to provide artificial intelligence solutions and technical support for projects undertaken by central ministries, government departments, and public sector organisations.
The empanelment follows a competitive selection process that attracted more than 80 bidders.
Apart from TCS and NEC India, the selected firms are Kyndryl Solutions, Innefu Labs, CoRover.ai, the company behind BharatGPT, and Cactus Communications.
According to a government notification, the companies will serve as approved technology partners for two years. They will provide specialised AI services, technical expertise, and skilled manpower for AI-driven projects across government entities.
The initiative aims to create a pool of vetted vendors that ministries and departments can engage for the development, deployment, and scaling of artificial intelligence applications.
Officials believe the move will help speed up AI adoption across governance, improve public service delivery, and strengthen digital transformation efforts in the public sector.
The empanelled companies are expected to support government bodies in areas including AI model development, implementation, advisory services, capacity building, and project execution, depending on departmental requirements.
Several major consulting and technology firms that participated in the bidding process did not make the final list. These include Deloitte, EY, PwC, and analytics and AI company Fractal.
The empanelment forms part of the government's broader effort to integrate artificial intelligence into public administration and build institutional capacity for emerging technologies.