Tamil Nadu to launch AI open data platform for startups, says PTR

COIMBATORE: Tamil Nadu will soon open anonymised government datasets for startups and innovators through a new AI Open Data Platform, IT and Digital Services Minister Palanivel Thiaga Rajan announced at the Tamil Nadu Global Startup Summit (TNGSS) 2025 on Thursday.

The initiative aims to make large-scale, clean, and standardised government data accessible for training and testing artificial intelligence models, a move the minister described as “a foundation for innovation-led governance and startup collaboration.”

“Once we standardise and analyse the data, we hope to provide it as an open platform for startups and innovators, because they can't get such huge data anywhere else,” he said, adding that privacy safeguards will ensure no individual or household information is identifiable.

PTR noted that Tamil Nadu's AI mission is guided by three principles: adopting AI within government, creating a unified data and processing infrastructure, and enabling startups to build on that base.

The State has already processed more than 80 crore records across departments, integrating them into a unified database covering about 4.4 million individuals.

According to the minister, this exercise has helped clean, validate, and link data from 370 of 530 government benefit schemes, thereby creating a space for improved public service delivery.

The AI initiative, launched nearly two years ago, has involved workshops in all 55 departments, identifying 55 use cases where AI can improve efficiency and governance. Fifteen of these have moved to the pilot stage, spanning health, education, road safety, and agriculture.

PTR cited several examples of AI already in use across the State's departments. The ePathway app uses AI to detect cataracts via mobile screening, while COVA, another mobile application, identifies oral diseases using image recognition. The government has also deployed models for crop data validation, a Generative AI document assistant, and facial-recognition-based attendance systems in schools and government offices.

New pilots under way include WhatsApp-based governance interfaces, AI-powered chatbots, and disease monitoring models for pneumonia and cyanosis.

PTR, who previously served as Finance Minister and later as IT Minister, framed the initiative as part of a broader attempt to rebuild citizen trust through better delivery.

He said governments worldwide face pressure as citizens expect faster and smarter services and technology, and if used responsibly, can bridge that gap.

Tamil Nadu is also seeking a Centre for Excellence in AI from the Government of India to be located in the State, alongside its own AI education syllabus being introduced from Class 6 onwards.