Bengaluru:  A three-member high-level delegation of IBM officials on Wednesday met Dr. C.N. Ashwathnarayan, Minister for IT-BT, Science and Technology, at the Vikasa Soudha in Bengaluru and evinced interest in sharing knowledge with the State Government in the areas of cyber security and Artificial Intelligence (AI).

The three-member IBM delegation, led by Sandip Patil, Managing Director, IBM South Asia, assured the Minister that the company would help the Government in formulating a cyber-security policy to which Dr. Ashwathnarayan said that the Government would take the help of the company in matters concerning cyber security.

Sandip Patil said that IBM had recently opened a Security Command Centre in Bengaluru to improve cyber resilience and capacity development of the industry. Pointing out that the company would discuss the capabilities of this new facility including some strategic collaboration avenues to develop effective cyber incident response with the Government, he said that the company was willing to train the Government staff in this direction if necessary.

Meanwhile, Minister Dr. Ashwathnarayan said that the members of Karnataka Milk Federation and other Co-operative Societies had also evinced interest to partner with IBM, to which Patil said that he welcomed the Government’s initiative to empower 14 Government-run Engineering Colleges of the State and added that the Government had sought IBM’s assistance in formulating a curriculum and research programmes for the engineering students. Patil said that IBM intends to upgrade all  Atal Tinkering Labs in the State and hoped that the Government would extend its co-operation in this regard.

Dr. Ashwathnarayan announced that IBM had positively responded to upgrade Sri Krishnarajendra Silver Jubilee Technological Institute in Bengaluru on a partnership basis and added that the Government will discuss the modalities of this partnership with the company soon.