UPES to Revolutionise AI Research with Centre for Predictive Analytics, Neural Network Intelligence, and Natural Language Inference (PANINI)

Artificial Intelligence (AI) is reshaping industries, research methodologies, and societal structures. The establishment of the Centre for Predictive Analytics, Neural Network Intelligence, and Natural Language Inference (PANINI) at UPES marks a strategic initiative to position the university at the forefront of AI-driven innovation.

The name PANINI is inspired by both modern AI principles and India's rich intellectual heritage. It stands for Predictive Analytics (PA), Neural Network Intelligence (NI), and Natural Language Inference (NI), encapsulating the centre's core areas of expertise. Additionally, it pays homage to the legendary Sanskrit grammarian Panini, whose work laid the foundation for linguistic analysis, making him a fitting namesake for a centre dedicated to AI and natural language processing.

This name reflects the centre's mission of advancing AI while staying rooted in ethical, sustainable, and transformative applications, reinforcing UPES' commitment to impactful research.

Legacy of Research

UPES is a leading multidisciplinary institution in India, that is recognised for its strong research focus, innovation, and industry collaboration. Over the years, UPES has invested heavily in research infrastructure, recruited distinguished faculty with exceptional academic credentials, and strengthened graduate and PhD programs. Collaborations with globally renowned institutions such as CERN, KEK, UC Berkeley, University of Queensland, University of Edinburgh, University of Auckland, University of New South Wales, University of Bologna and more, along with industry partners like IBM, Cisco, Bosch, Bajaj, KPMG, Infosys, NASSCOM, have enriched research output and increased global academic impact. Nearly 50% of UPES research papers today have international co-authors, significantly improving citation rates and global recognition.

The university's strategic investments in high-end computing clusters and a rapidly expanding research budget, which has grown nearly 100 times since 2020, signify its dedication to pioneering AI and data sciences research. The integration of AI-driven curricula, project-based learning, and interdisciplinary collaboration further establishes UPES as a hub of innovation. This strong foundation in research naturally led to the creation of PANINI, an initiative designed to leverage AI for transformative advancements across disciplines while bridging academia and industry.

Need for AI Integration

The increasing adoption of AI across fields such as medicine, engineering, economics, and social sciences necessitates dedicated infrastructure and expertise. AI-driven automation is enhancing productivity, with studies suggesting efficiency gains of up to 33% in developing economies. The surge in AI startups and investments indicates its growing influence on modern life.

According to the Stanford AI Index and leading industry analyses, AI has transitioned from a specialised niche to a mainstream pillar of scientific progress. By 2024, over 97% of research fields worldwide were incorporating AI-driven methodologies, paving the way for scientific breakthroughs that were once unimaginable. AI is no longer confined to computer science labs - it enriches disciplines as varied as medicine, engineering, economics, social sciences, and the humanities. 

To support AI-driven research, the centre will establish high-performance computing (HPC) infrastructure on campus, allowing faculty, students, and industry collaborators to process large datasets, conduct simulations, and derive insights. This will reduce reliance on external computing resources and enable cutting-edge research in fields like climate modelling and genomics.

Interdisciplinary Research and Skill Development

PANINI is designed as a collaborative platform bridging multiple disciplines. Biologists can use AI-driven analytics to advance disease research, economists can leverage machine learning for market predictions, and engineers can optimise manufacturing processes. This enables interdisciplinary collaboration and knowledge exchange.

The centre's core mission is to democratise AI knowledge across the university community. Through structured training programs, it will provide hands-on courses in Python programming, machine learning, computer vision, and natural language processing (NLP). These programs will equip students and researchers with industry-relevant skills, enhancing employability and strengthening UPES' position as a hub for AI education. Beyond academia, the centre will facilitate the transition of AI-driven innovations from research to market-ready applications.
Infrastructure, Roadmap, and Future Growth

PANINI is equipped with state-of-the-art AI computing infrastructure, including 16 NVIDIA H100 GPUs in DGX Clusters, 1.28 TB of GPU RAM, and 1 Petabyte of storage capacity. This infrastructure will be able to host large 100+ concurrent language models (LLMs), conduct 10 billion cell high fidelity (CFD) simulations in 32 hours instead of months, supporting AI-driven research at an unprecedented scale. The facilities will be housed in a newly renovated IT Tower, ensuring a cutting-edge environment for innovation.

The centre's development follows a phased roadmap, beginning with the launch of AI training programs, interdisciplinary collaborations, and initial industry partnerships in Year 1 (2025). In Year 2 (2026), the focus will expand to commercialisation, the piloting of AI-powered grading assistants, and the establishment of consulting services. Beyond 2026, it aims to promote sustainable AI research, strengthen industry collaborations, and integrate AI-driven tools into university operations, ensuring long-term innovation and impact which will be measured through training participation rates, adoption of AI-powered tools, interdisciplinary research outputs, commercialisation success, and student placements in AI-driven roles.

The establishment of PANINI is a visionary step towards AI-driven academic excellence and industry collaboration, which will render it a hub of AI innovation in the coming years. UPES prioritises growth and continuous improvement and has adopted the philosophy of becoming a 'university for impact'. This encompasses several dimensions, including educational, research, innovation, economic, social, environmental, and policy impact. The PANINI initiative will solidify UPES' role as a leader in AI research and education, ensuring long-term contributions to technological progress and economic growth. 

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