NEW DELHI: The Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Kharagpur has signed a tripartite Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with its alumni and philanthropist Vinod Gupta and the IITKGP Foundation, USA to establish the Benjamin Gupta School of Physical AI.
Envisioned as India’s first dedicated academic school focused on Physical AI, the initiative represents a strategic shift from artificial intelligence predominantly focusses on data, algorithms and digital applications towards AI that understands, interacts with, predicts and intelligently controls the real-world environments.
The proposed school involves a total investment of Rs 35 crore. The Vinod Gupta family will contribute Rs 12.5 crore, along with an alumnus who wishes to remain anonymous will contribute Rs 10 crore. The remaining amount will be provided by IIT Kharagpur.
The institution will be named the Benjamin Gupta School of Physical AI in memory of Vinod Gupta’s late son. The funding will support infrastructure for the Department of Artificial Intelligence and associated interdisciplinary academic and research activities.
The school will focus on integrating AI with physics, engineering, biological systems and specialised scientific knowledge. Its research areas will include physics-informed machine learning, scientific AI, digital twins, intelligent robotics, autonomous systems, advanced sensing, computational engineering and AI-enabled experimentation.
“AI has transformed the way we process information. Its next great leap will be in transforming the way we understand, engineer and interact with the physical world. IIT Kharagpur aspires to lead this transition in India through the Benjamin Gupta School of Physical AI,” IIT Kharagpur Director Prof. Suman Chakraborty said.
He said the vision is to move beyond treating AI as a black-box solution.
A Landmark Leap into the Future of AI! 🇮🇳
IIT Kharagpur signs a ₹35 crore tripartite MoU to establish India’s first dedicated School of Physical AI!
Signed by Director Prof. Suman Chakraborty & Distinguished alumnus Mr Vinod Gupta, in the presence of Deans (Alumni Affairs), alumni, faculty & staff.
Advancing AI beyond algorithms into real-world technologies!
#IITKharagpur #PhysicalAI #Innovation
@EduMinOfIndia @PIB_India @Suman_iitkgp
— IIT Kharagpur (@IITKgp) October 27, 2026
“An engineer must understand the physics behind an intelligent machine; a scientist must connect AI predictions with fundamental scientific principles; and a medical professional must combine algorithmic intelligence with biological and clinical understanding. The future belongs not simply to those who can use AI, but to those who can integrate AI with deep domain knowledge to create technologies that are reliable, explainable and impactful,” he said.
The Benjamin Gupta School of Physical AI will seek to catalyse a collaborative ecosystem connecting academia, industry, healthcare institutions, research laboratories, startups and international partners. By integrating fundamental scientific discovery, advanced education, translational research, technology development and professional reskilling, the School aims to accelerate India’s capabilities in indigenous, reliable and globally competitive AI-enabled physical technologies.