TCS and IIT-Kanpur team up to build sustainable cities with AI

Tata Consultancy Services (TCS) has entered into a strategic partnership with the Indian Institute of Technology Kanpur (IIT-K) to address sustainable urbanisation. TCS and IIT-K's AIRAWAT Research Foundation will leverage AI and advanced technologies to tackle urban planning challenges in India.

The foundation was set up by IIT Kanpur with support from the education, housing and urban affairs ministries, to rethink the way cities are built.  The collaboration aims to build cities that are resilient, equitable, and ecologically balanced, TCS said in a statement.

Prof. Manindra Agrawal, Director, IIT Kanpur, said that the collaboration aims to transform urban spaces into resilient, equitable, and climate-conscious ecosystems. Dr Harrick Vin, CTO, TCS, added that the partnership will leverage TCS's capabilities in AI, remote sensing, multi-modal data fusion, and digital twin technologies to solve urban challenges and anticipate the needs of tomorrow's cities.

The partnership will harness AI and remote sensing technology to deliver real-world impact, generate high-resolution ambient air quality maps, predict and mitigate urban flooding, and optimise green spaces to create lower carbon footprints.

Prof. Sachchida Nand Tripathi, Project Director, AIRAWAT Research Foundation, said that the collaboration will address India's complex urban challenges using AI-driven modelling, satellite and sensor networks, and digital platforms to improve air quality, forecast floods, optimise green spaces, and strengthen governance.

This collaboration builds on a decade-long partnership between TCS and IIT-K, including joint research projects, collaborative education programs, internships, and faculty development programs. Together, they have established an educational and research ecosystem for Integrated Computational Materials Engineering (ICME) at the IIT-K campus.