Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced that India will establish an "India Chair on Artificial Intelligence" at the Technical University of Kosice in Slovakia. Part of a broader Comprehensive Partnership, the initiative is paired with new digital technology and labor agreements to accelerate collaboration on public infrastructure.
BRATISLAVA, Slovakia — In a major breakthrough for international academic diplomacy and technological governance, Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced on Monday that India will establish its first-ever foreign academic chair dedicated to artificial intelligence at a prominent university in Slovakia. The landmark declaration, made during the first-ever state visit by an Indian Prime Minister to Slovakia since its independence in 1993, coincides with the two countries officially elevating their bilateral relations to a Comprehensive Partnership.
The decision positions India as a key regulatory and intellectual voice in the European Union's developing technological landscape while unlocking new avenues for cross-border research.
Technical University of Kosice to Host Landmark AI Institution
According to official documentation released by the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) detailing the programmatic outcomes of the state visit, the newly created institution will be formally titled the Indian Council for Cultural Relations (ICCR) Chair in Artificial Intelligence.
Host Institution: The specialized academic chair will be permanently housed at the Technical University of Kosice, one of Slovakia's premier technical and research universities.
Core Mandate: The academic framework is specifically designed to facilitate faculty exchanges, organize collaborative research projects, and drive student engagement programs between Indian and Slovak institutions.
Strategic Focus: Rather than focusing strictly on commercial software development, the chair will prioritize joint studies into global AI governance, data ethics, and the socio-economic implications of automation.
The academic chair will operate in tandem with a broader, newly signed bilateral agreement on scientific cooperation established between the Indian National Science Academy and the Slovak Academy of Sciences.
Digital Public Infrastructure and Broader Policy Alignment
The creation of the AI chair represents a single component of a comprehensive technology and labor blueprint signed in Bratislava. Following high-level delegation talks between Prime Minister Modi and Slovakian Prime Minister Robert Fico, both administrations formally executed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) on digital technology.
The digital accord explicitly paves the way for Slovakia to evaluate and potentially integrate components of India’s homegrown Digital Public Infrastructure (DPI), which includes high-volume transaction frameworks like the Unified Payments Interface (UPI) and secure digital identity systems.
Furthermore, to support the physical mobility required for high-tech research, the two governments enacted a parallel MoU on labor migration to enhance the legal mobility of IT professionals, engineers, and skilled workers between the two nations.
Official Sources Section
The operational outlines, technological mandates, and diplomatic agreements detailed during the state visit were compiled and corroborated using official press packages distributed by the Prime Minister’s Office (PMO) India and verified bilateral outcome lists managed by the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA), Government of India. Additional European market context was cross-referenced with briefings broadcast by the Slovak Academy of Sciences.
Executive Commentary
"Technology is an important pillar of our future partnership. The MoU signed today on digital technology will open new avenues of cooperation in digital public infrastructure. I am pleased that an India Chair on the subject of AI is being established at a university in Slovakia."
— Prime Minister Narendra Modi
Expressing admiration for India's technological scale, Slovakian Prime Minister Robert Fico stated during a joint press brief:
"I congratulate you for the results you have achieved in different areas. You dominate in the field of digitalization and the use of AI. You have come so far that you are faster than many advanced countries in different parts of the world."
Why It Matters
For tech enterprises, academic researchers, and institutional investors, the institutionalization of an India Chair on AI in Central Europe lowers the legal and cultural barriers to collaborative research within the European Union's strict regulatory jurisdiction. For citizens and students, the accompanying consular and labor agreements guarantee simpler visa processes and stable mobility channels for researchers looking to work directly across the Indo-European corridor. Pragmatically, it ensures India's human-centric approach to AI governance becomes integrated into European academic frameworks.
Key Facts at a Glance
Academic Host: The Technical University of Kosice in Slovakia.
Official Designation: ICCR Chair in Artificial Intelligence.
Bilateral Status: Relationship elevated to a "Comprehensive Partnership" during the historic 2026 state visit.
Accompanying Accords: Direct MoUs signed covering digital technology, digital public infrastructure, and legal labor migration.
Primary Philosophy: Focuses heavily on developing trust, responsibility, and human dignity in global AI systems.
FAQ Section
Q1: Which Slovakian university will host the new India Chair on AI?
A1: The India Chair on Artificial Intelligence will be formally established at the Technical University of Kosice.
Q2: What is the main objective of establishing this AI Chair?
A2: The chair aims to foster joint international research, facilitate student and faculty exchanges, and build global frameworks centered on ethical, transparent, and human-centric AI development.
Q3: What other major agreements were signed during PM Modi's visit to Slovakia?
A3: Aside from the AI chair, India and Slovakia signed a Memorandum of Understanding on digital technology to cooperate on digital public infrastructure, alongside a separate MoU regulating safe labor migration for professionals.
Source: Ministry of External Affairs (MEA), India., Prime Minister’s Office (PMO) India, Technical University of Kosice Media Portal.
