The Indian Institute of Management (IIM) Ahmedabad today launched the Brij Disa Centre for Data Science and Artificial Intelligence (CDSA). The centre shall undertake leading-edge research in data science and artificial intelligence that will support businesses, governance, and policymaking. It aims to forge synergistic and collaborative relationships between scholars and practitioners in data-intensive organisations, besides undertaking case-based research to understand the current industry practice and develop case studies for classroom teaching. The endowment for this centre has been contributed by Deepak Gupta, joint managing director, Kotak Mahindra Group. Errol D’Souza, director, IIM Ahmedabad, said, “Data Science and artificial intelligence are increasingly impacting businesses across the world. AI has become an inevitable part of our lives. To harness the power of these advanced technologies for augmenting businesses, the need of the hour is to bring together different stakeholders onto the same platform, conduct intensive research to identify challenges, determine potential and provide impactful insights.” Besides connecting relevant stakeholders, CDSA will also be responsible for the dissemination of the knowledge to a wide audience through seminars, workshops and conferences. Professor Anindya S Chakrabarti, co-chairperson, CDSA explained the imminent need for research and development in the field of Data Science and Artificial Intelligence. “AI has transitioned from being a field of science to an integral element of our daily lives. There is a pressing need to harness the power of Data Science and Artificial Intelligence. This can be a game-changer, not just for businesses but also for societal needs. The Centre will provide insights that can be of tremendous value to policymakers,” said Chakrabarti. The centre will also take up challenging consulting projects of considerable practical importance in collaboration with industry players. One of the major highlights of the centre is an exhaustive annual report on the data science and artificial intelligence industry in the country, which shall provide a holistic view of the industry, identify challenges and gaps, gauge the scope of the industry and offer plausible solutions. The advisory committee of the centre includes Sanjiv Das, William and Janice Terry Professor of Finance at Santa Clara University's Leavey School of Business; Sunil Gupta, Edward W Carter Professor of Business Administration, and co-chair of the executive program on Driving Digital Strategy at Harvard Business School; Tiziana Di Matteo, Professor of Econophysics in the Department of Mathematics, King’s College, London.
