By Avantika Basu
The Indian Institute of Technology Kharagpur on April 16 announced the launch of the Vikram Sodhi Centre of Excellence for AI-Enabled Geological and Mining Systems.
Conceived as an interdisciplinary research hub, the centre has been established with a funding commitment of Rs 15 crore over five years from Vikram Sodhi, Vice Chairman of Mineros SA and Managing Partner at Sun Valley Investments.
The initiative aims to develop artificial intelligence-driven solutions tailored specifically to Indian geological conditions, addressing long-standing gaps in the sector’s digital transformation.
The newly launched centre seeks to bring together diverse disciplines to build cohesive, mining-native AI systems. While digital tools have already found their way into segments of the mining industry, their fragmented use has often limited large-scale impact.
With existing academic strengths in geology and geophysics, mining engineering, and metallurgical engineering, along with capabilities in AI and data science, the centre is being positioned as a platform for integrated research. Its structure follows models such as the Robert Bosch Centre for Data Science and AI, which are based on industry-supported, interdisciplinary collaboration.
One of the key components of the centre is the industry-linked Grand Challenges Programme. The programme will use datasets provided by industry partners and requires research to be conducted using operational mine data rather than simulated inputs. The stated aim is to ensure that outcomes remain relevant to real-world mining conditions and can be applied in practice.
The research scope will cover multiple stages of the mining process, including exploration, mine planning, mineral processing, predictive maintenance, and ESG analytics, integrating them into a unified intelligence system. The approach is intended to bring these areas within a single framework rather than treating them as separate domains.
The centre has been set up as an independent interdisciplinary unit within IIT Kharagpur and will operate under the academic oversight of the Dean of Research and Development. Its governance framework includes faculty-led research, with an external advisory board expected to provide strategic inputs.
Prof. Suman Chakraborty, Director of IIT Kharagpur, said the initiative adds to the institute’s interdisciplinary research efforts. He noted the centre has been launched in the institute’s Platinum Jubilee year and brings together work in geological sciences, mining engineering, and artificial intelligence to address sector-specific challenges. “This Centre is envisioned as an enduring institution built on the strength of its research and intellectual contributions. Its purpose is to create lasting value through rigorous, application-oriented work that advances the mining sector, independent of individual associations,” Vikram Sodhi said.
The centre has been named after the Sodhi family, which has had a longstanding association with the institute. Col. Manjeet Sodhi, father of Vikram Sodhi and a distinguished alumnus of the institute, completed his M.Tech. in Radar Systems Engineering in 1977.
The centre is expected to focus on developing research that can be applied within existing mining operations, with an emphasis on real-world data and interdisciplinary collaboration.