IIT-Madras partners Pravartak, Ziroh Labs to establish AI research centre

CHENNAI: In a landmark initiative aimed at democratizing artificial intelligence, IIT-Madras on Wednesday announced the establishment of the Centre of AI Research (COAIR) in collaboration with IIT-M Pravartak Technologies Foundation and Ziroh Labs, a California-based deep-tech innovation startup.

The newly launched centre will focus on addressing India's compute accessibility challenges by developing practical and efficient AI solutions that operate seamlessly on CPUs and edge devices—eliminating the dependence on high-cost GPUs (Graphics Processing Units), according to IIT-M.

Unveiled at the IIT-Madras campus, Ziroh Labs introduced Kompact AI, an indigenous AI platform designed to build and serve foundational models exclusively on CPUs.

"The platform, which is in line with India's 'AI for All' mission, has already optimized 17 advanced AI models—including DeepSeek, Qwen, and Llama—to function efficiently on standard computing infrastructure. These models have been co-benchmarked with IIT-M to ensure both high performance and precision," a release issued by IITM read.

"This is a nature-inspired initiative where domain-specific models provide accurate inferences using cost-effective computing," said V Kamakoti, Director of IIT-Madras.

"This approach will help bridge the growing AI divide, ensuring access to cutting-edge technology is not limited by financial or infrastructural constraints," he added.

Highlighting the industry's enthusiasm, Apoorv Iyer, Executive Vice President and Global Head of GenAI Practice at HCLTech, said, "We congratulate Ziroh Labs on this significant breakthrough. HCLTech is proud to partner on this transformative journey toward inclusive AI."

During the event, Kompact AI's innovative capabilities were demonstrated live, showcasing its potential to revolutionize AI development by reducing hardware dependency and enhancing scalability.