POWERGRID and Africa50: First Transmission PPP Project

Power Grid Corporation of India Limited (POWERGRID) has signed a Joint Development Agreement with Africa50, the pan-African infrastructure investment platform to continue to develop the Kenya Transmission Project on a public-private partnership basis.

Details about the project

• The project entails the development, financing, construction, and operation of the 400kV Lessons – Loosuk and 220kV Kisumu – Musaga transmission lines under a public-private partnership (PPP) framework.
• Once completed, the project will be the first Independent Power Transmission (IPT) in Kenya and will set a reference point in Africa as the first financing of transmission lines on a PPP basis.
• This project will also improve both the supply and reliability of power transmission in Western Kenya and further create a demonstration effect to help increase private sector investments into the expansion of Africa’s power transmission networks, which is critical to bridging the continent’s electricity access gap.
• In this development partnership, POWERGRID, one of the world’s leading electric transmission utility companies will provide technical and operational know-how to the project, while Africa50 will bring its project development and finance expertise and will act as a bridge between the Kenyan government and private investors.
• The signing of this agreement underscores POWERGRID and Africa50’s commitment to continue to dedicate resources to accelerate development activities on the project until financial close.
• Transmission plays an important role in bringing efficiency to the entire electricity supply chain.
• A robust transmission network not only imparts reliability and security to the electricity grid but also allows non-discriminatory access to buyers and sellers which spurs the competition that results in competitive electricity prices to the ultimate consumer.
• POWERGRID hopes that the present transmission project in Kenya shall serve as a Model for undertaking more such projects in Kenya as well as other African countries.
• POWERGRID with its rich technical and managerial experience in undertaking transmission systems under PPP mode shall be pleased to be associated with this journey.

Artificial Intelligence in India

Industrial Revolution 4.0

1. It includes Artificial Intelligence, Robotics, Blockchain AR, VR, IoT, Supercomputing, Machine Learning, Deep Learning, 3D printing.
2. IoT (Internet of Things): is defined by ICT as a dynamic global network infrastructure with self-configuring capabilities.
3. Deep Learning or Hierarchical Learning is part of machine learning methods based on learning data representations. In deep learning, each level learns to transform its input data into a slightly more abstract and composite representation.
4. Applications like speech recognition, facial recognition, bioinformatics and drug discovery, financial fraud detection, AI in healthcare, etc.

What is Artificial Intelligence (AI)?

• The term was coined in 1956 by John McCarthy.
• AI is a way of making a computer, a computer-controlled robot,  or software perform humanlike tasks.
• It refers to the ability of machines to perform cognitive tasks like thinking,  perceiving, learning, problem-solving and decision making. It describes the action of machines accomplishing tasks that have historically required human intelligence. It includes technologies like machine learning, pattern recognition, big data, neural networks, self algorithms etc.

• AI involves complex things such as feeding a particular data into the machine and making it react as per the different situations. It is basically about creating self-learning patterns where the machine can give answers to the never answered questions like a human would ever do.
• There are two subsets under the umbrella term AI: Machine learning and Deep learning.

India and Artificial Intelligence

• G20 Osaka Summit: PM underscored the significance of the Digital Economy & Artificial Intelligence. He emphasised the government's reliance on the 5 ‘I’s that stand for Inclusiveness, Indigenization, Innovation, Investment in infrastructure & International cooperation in developing these two areas.
• According to Global AI Report 2019, India is 9th in terms of the number of AI specialists working in the field. US, China and UK topped.
• CBSE has AI as an elective subject for its 9th Class.
• IIT Hyderabad is the 1st Indian Educational Institute starting B Tech in AI. It is 3rd in the World after Carnegie University and MIT.
• IIIT Hyderabad has also introduced popular executive programmes on AI, Machine Learning and Blockchain.
• Defence, IBM's Blue Project, many startups are now foraying into AI.
• It is estimated that AI will add 957 billion $ to India’s GDP by 2035 boosting India’s annual growth by 1.3% points.

Steps were taken by the Government to promote Artificial Intelligence

• In the 2018-19 Budget, Govt mandated NITI to establish National Program on AI.
• Budget 2018 announced funds for AI, machine learning, robotics and the IoT sector.

NITI Aayog's National Strategy for Artificial Intelligence, 2018

• This strategy was being recommended by the Artificial Intelligence task force headed by V. Kamakoti.
• 5 Core areas for application of AI = Agriculture, Education, Health, Smart cities/ infrastructure; Transport with AI.
• India has the potential to become an AI garage or solution provider for 40% of the World.
• Application of AI = Cancer report, Reroute traffic, Telling Farmers where to store, Dropout.
• It doesn't talk about funding. The institutional structure of CERN is like a multinational lab.
• Challenges = Only 4% of AI professionals trained in Emerging technologies; low H Index (citation) and Data sets.

Kamakoti Committee

• Set up digital data banks, marketplaces and exchanges to ensure the availability of cross-industry information.
• Data ombudsman: to address data-related issues and grievances.
• Ensure availability of funds for R&D
• Setting up National Artificial Intelligence Mission (N-AIM)
• The Commerce and Industry Ministry has also set up task forces to explore the use of AI and Big Data technologies.

In 2019, NITI Aayog circulated the cabinet note to establish a  cloud computing platform called AIRAWAT

• AIRAWAT stands for Artificial Intelligence Research, Analytics and Knowledge Assimilation Platform.
• It is a part of the goal of making India a pioneer amongst emerging economies wrt AI and transforming sectors like education, health, agriculture, urbanization and mobility.

National Strategy for Artificial Intelligence 2015-20

• NITI Aayog has published the National Strategy for Artificial Intelligence wherein it has identified five core areas for the application of Artificial Intelligence.

Application of AI in 5 Core Areas

Healthcare:

1. AI-based Radiomics focuses on the comprehensive quantification of tumour phenotypes.
2. A joint venture between Microsoft and Indian start-up ‘Forus Health’ has developed a portable device named “3Nethra” that can screen for common eye problems as well as complicated conditions like diabetic retinopathy.

Agriculture:

1. AI is being used for soil care, sowing, herbicide optimization,  precision farming.
2. Intello Labs, Trithi Robotics are startups in the Agri sector.
3. Coffee Board of India started using AI in activities.
4. Assam Tea growers may take the AI route to recovery.

Education:

1. AI can be used for developing tools for customised learning, interactive and intelligent tutoring systems.
2. For automated teacher posting and transfer systems, using analytics based on demand-supply gaps across schools.

Smart Cities and Infrastructure:

1. Service delivery, crowd management, cyber security, public safety and water and waste management.
2. Bandicoot robots have been developed for sewer cleaning to put an end to manual scavenging.

Smart Mobility and Transportation: AI-based traffic management system including sensors, CCTV cameras,  automatic number plate recognition cameras, speed detection cameras, signalised pedestrian crossings.

Significance of Artificial Intelligence for India

• India can become an AI powerhouse.
• A study by Google Neural Network correctly identified cancerous skin lesions more often than Dermatologists did. India's shortage of specialist doctors in rural areas can benefit.
• Compete with the aspirations of the USA, China and Japan.
• If used in Agri, it will bring revolution in Farming practices.
• Use in Renewable Energy. Eg. Delhi based firm Climate Connect predicts the amount that a solar plant will generate every 15 mins. It will help in completing the Solar target of 100 GW by 2022.
• ANYA: Chatbot for patient queries. Information is medically verified. 1st of its kind. For disease awareness.
• Social media sites were told to filter content using AI.

Challenges in Artificial Intelligence

• Norman = Data is fed by a person only. He can be biased. Psychopath AI.
• Lack of enabling data ecosystems.
• The low intensity of AI research.
• Inadequate availability of AI expertise, manpower and skilling opportunities.
• High resource cost and low awareness for adopting AI in business processes.
• Unclear privacy, security and ethical regulations.
• Unattractive Intellectual Property regime to incentivise research and adoption of  AI.
• Only 4% of AI professionals trained in Emerging technologies; low H Index (citation) and Data sets.

US India Artificial Intelligence (USIAI) Initiative

• It is an initiative by Indo-U.S. Science and Technology Forum (IUSSTF), a bilateral organization funded by the Department of Science & Technology (DST), the Government of India, and the U.S. Department of States.
• IUSSTF’s USIAI Initiative focuses on AI cooperation in critical areas that are priorities for both countries. USIAI will serve as a platform to discuss opportunities, challenges, and barriers for bilateral AI R&D collaboration, enable AI innovation, help share ideas for developing an AI workforce, and recommend modes and mechanisms for catalyzing partnerships.

Features of USIAI

• The ambitious flagship initiative, USIAI, leverages IUSSTF’s unique ability to bring together key stakeholders from India and the United States to create synergies that address challenges and opportunities at the interface of science, technology, and society.
• Over the next year, IUSSTF will conduct a series of roundtables and workshops to gather input from different stakeholder communities and prepare White Papers that identify technical, research, infrastructure, and workforce opportunities and challenges, and domain-specific opportunities for R&D in healthcare, smart cities, materials, agriculture, energy, and manufacturing.

Benefits of USIAI

• “The AI Initiative is another example of IUSSTF’s critical role in catalyzing collaborations between India and the U.S. in cutting-edge areas of science and technology.
• The U.S.-India AI Initiative will provide an opportunity for key stakeholder groups to share experiences, identify new R&D areas and opportunities that would benefit from synergistic activities, discuss the emerging AI landscape, and address the challenges of developing an AI workforce.

Other Artificial Intelligence Initiatives by India

• Artificial Intelligence is being promoted and implemented in the country through a network of 25 technology hubs working as a triple helix set up under the National Mission on Interdisciplinary Cyber-Physical Systems (NM-ICPS).

• PM-STIAC identified 9 National S&T Missions: In one of those missions 1 mission is National Mission on Artificial Intelligence:
• By NITI Aayog, Dept of S&T, Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology, Dept of Biotechnology.
• It will address societal needs like healthcare, education, agriculture, smart cities and infrastructure, including smart mobility and transportation.