Attribution:
Davit Antonyan, “Promoting South-South Partnerships: The Potential of India-Armenia Collaboration in AI Education and Research,” ORF Issue Brief No. 804, May 2025, Observer Research Foundation.
Introduction
The emerging multipolar world order is witnessing a shift from large, formal multilateral alliances to a piecemeal complex of interest-based partnerships.[1] This shift underscores the importance of partnerships between like-minded nations in key sectors of strategic development. Among these partnerships, the India–Armenia relationship holds immense transformative potential: it can bolster Armenia’s resilience and national development while enhancing India’s outreach as a new voice of the Global South.[2]
In the past five years, the relationship between the two countries—at the core of which is defence—has demonstrated momentum for growth. Armenia has signed military and defence contracts worth more than US$1 billion with India and expressed interest in acquiring Indian defence equipment.[3] Additional collaboration sectors such as infrastructure, pharmaceuticals, and renewable energy are being considered to build on this momentum.[4] Among these, the deep technology industry stands out as highly promising.[a]
Both countries have prioritised technology as a key area of economic development. For Armenia, its small size necessitates an asset-light approach, with service activities like technology serving as a pillar of economic growth. The Ministry of Economy and the Ministry of High-Tech Industry both emphasise the importance of five key areas of technological growth: artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning (ML), microelectronics, advanced robotics, quantum technology, and biotechnology.[5] Armenia’s Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) strategy notes the importance of leveraging its technological talent and enterprises to attract investment.[6] At the same time, India appears poised to become the West’s preferred technological powerhouse in microelectronics design and manufacturing amidst a global shift to “friendshoring” key technology sectors.[7] With programmes such as ‘Make in India’,[8] the IndiaAI Mission,[9] and the establishment of AI Centres of Excellence,[10] the Indian government has signalled its interest in the rapid development of critical and emerging technologies.
Further bolstering India’s capacity to integrate and scale advanced solutions are bilateral and multilateral tech partnerships such as the US–India Initiative on Critical and Emerging Technology[11] and the UK–India Technology Security Initiative.[12] In parallel to an overall Western interest in alternative supply chains and talent pools, as well as India’s commitment to South-South cooperation,[13] a partnership between Armenia and India—particularly in human capital development in technology—could demonstrate how small and mid-sized nations can collaborate to leapfrog in deep technology development through strategic educational and industrial alignment.
Armenia’s Tech Development
Historically, Armenia was renowned for its strong tech-focused education system which played a notable role in establishing the country as a centre of defence and technological expertise within the Soviet Union.[14] Upon the collapse of the Soviet Union, Armenia quickly became a research and design hub for multinational microelectronics companies, including Synopsys, Nvidia, and Siemens, which were attracted to Armenia for its tech-savvy, skilled workforce.[15] While these companies benefited from Armenia’s tech expertise, they also gradually invested in building a sustainable and skilled workforce over the subsequent years.
Synopsys, for example, invested heavily in microelectronics education in Armenia, setting up its own Research and Development Center and collaborating with subsequent governments to enhance IT and tech education in Armenian higher education institutions.[16] This served a dual purpose, building an educated workforce for Synopsys to leverage and also broadening Armenia’s tech-equipped capabilities.
This decades-long development of tech research talent in Armenia is now bearing fruit as the nation becomes a leader in technological innovation in its own right.[17] Its high-tech ecosystem has made strides, with several AI-based startups and companies achieving remarkable success. For instance, Krisp, an AI company specialising in noise-cancellation technology for virtual communication, has gained global recognition.[18] Other Armenian-founded startups such as Picsart—a leading international photo and video-editing platform—have reached ‘unicorn’ status due to their widespread popularity and continuous innovation.[19] SuperAnnotate, an Armenian-founded startup that helps clients manage multimodal AI datasets, has moved to Series B funding.[20] In December 2024, ServiceTitan, a California-based cloud software platform designed to empower residential and commercial contractors, became the first Armenian-founded company to go public on the NASDAQ.[21]
While both countries are pursuing the common objective of enhancing native manufacturing and design capabilities, they also share a similar lag in workforce upskilling and development, in that an increasing number of jobs require more skilled tech workers than exist in their respective workforces. This problem is acutely important for India where 75 percent of companies face challenges in finding skilled workers in AI, cybersecurity, and cloud computing.[22] In Armenia, this challenge prompted the development of a private-public educational partnership model to create curricula for high school students and replicate the success of the university model to primary education.
Rather than only addressing short-term industry demands, Synopsys eventually began to invest in high school education programmes to sustain a deeper level of tech literacy and talent in Armenia. The step.ai programme, launched in 2015, partners with high schools across Armenia to introduce the basics of engineering and tech research at an early age.[23] Other programmes such as TUMO,[b] an innovative tech education centre,[24] and Armath,[c] a nationwide network of engineering laboratories in schools,[25] have inspired and educated young Armenians in technology. Additionally, TUMO introduced 42 Yerevan,[26] as part of the global network of coding schools founded in France that integrates AI projects into its curriculum, building competencies in machine learning and automation. Its peer-based model fosters innovation and creative problem-solving for tech-related challenges. In collaboration with the Armenian government, the Foundation for Armenian Science and Technology (FAST)[d] developed the Generation AI Program to address the demand for AI innovators starting at the school level and extending to the doctoral level. The programme is designed to provide a comprehensive educational pipeline that equips students with foundational knowledge and skills in Advanced Mathematics, Python Programming, and AI beginning in high school, focusing on developing AI creators rather than merely users.
These initiatives underscore Armenia’s commitment to cultivating a new generation of AI researchers and innovators capable of advancing AI development globally. The overarching goal is to create a sustainable and accessible nationwide AI education framework at the high school level.
On India’s part, upskilling and digitisation programmes—both by startups and the government—have seen varying degrees of success. One such example was an AI education programme developed by IBM, launched across 200 schools in India, and implemented by a dedicated government unit under the Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE).[27] The curriculum begins in the sixth grade and continues through the 12th. It introduces AI literacy using basic concepts and Scratch programming, and progresses to more advanced AI development topics during the final two to three years of high school. Moreover, the Ministry of Skill Development and Entrepreneurship, through the Pradhan Mantri Kaushal Vikas Yojana programme, aims to address the further demand for youth upskilling for key industries such as IT, engineering, and AI development.[28]
Recommendations
Armenia and India may differ in size and have their distinct edtech initiatives, but their mutual interest in strengthening indigenous technological capabilities and deepening bilateral relations presents an opportunity for collaboration. By forging a focused partnership in tech-related human capital development, particularly in AI research, education, and innovation, they can address mutual workforce gaps and also co-create a scalable model of South-South cooperation. This partnership can take shape in two key domains:
1. Curriculum Exchange and Public-Private Partnerships
As a starting point, India can share its experiences and resources related to its AI curriculum for students in grades six to nine. At the same time, Armenia can help deepen the foundational aspects of AI education in India’s upper grades. This could be best pursued through a partnership between various edtech initiatives such as TUMO and the Generation AI programme from the Armenian side. By integrating India’s early-stage AI exposure with Armenia’s emphasis on core AI development, both nations can benefit from a more holistic AI education system that fosters true innovators rather than simply churning out AI-literate graduates. At the same time, sharing Armenia’s experience with early development of tech specialists in higher education through the private-public model (like that of Synopsys) can create an interesting opportunity for India, as more multinational tech heavyweights shift their focus towards the nation.
Lastly, at the government level, opportunities for cooperation include scaling and testing India’s Pradhan Mantri Kaushal Vikas Yojana programme at the national level in Armenia, joint development of AI innovation-focused educational programmes, and organising teacher exchanges and training in key AI-related tech fields.[e]
2. Advancing the Calibre of AI Researchers and Specialists
Despite producing a high volume of base-level researchers and IT specialists, Armenia does not yet offer a dedicated PhD programme in AI. To address these challenges and become a global leader in AI and innovation, Armenia must continue to invest in human capital development, with a specific focus on nurturing senior AI specialists who can create new AI technologies. India can be a valuable partner in this area. The country’s numerous Indian Institutes of Technology (IITs) and other tech-oriented universities regularly produce many senior AI researchers.
Armenia is now establishing AI research centres in its universities and technical institutes. However, it faces a dual challenge in finding mid- and senior-level AI research specialists to contribute to cutting-edge AI research while also mentoring more junior researchers in AI development.[29] Indian universities, through partnerships with Armenian universities, can engage in exchange programmes and talent-sharing programmes that bring mid-level AI researchers and PhD students from India to Armenia. For Indian researchers, the mentorship and research work could be paired with attractive career opportunities that offer higher salaries than typical in India, through roles in Armenia’s AI-focused startups and multinational microelectronics firms.
The partnership could also serve as a bridge to other countries of the Global South, especially while tackling shared global challenges and development issues such as agriculture, climate change, and clean energy through the co-creation of innovations. This partnership could be further institutionalised through the establishment of joint research centres.
Davit Antonyan is Senior Associate Fellow, Applied Policy Research Institute of Armenia (APRI Armenia), Yerevan.
The author acknowledges the contributions of the Foundation for Armenian Science and Technology (FAST Foundation) to this brief.
Endnotes
[a] ‘Deep technology’ refers to non-traditional technologies that rely on high and advanced levels of engineering, often associated with the use of artificial intelligence.
[b] TUMO, with its focus on creative technologies, offers a free-of-charge educational programme that puts teens in charge of their own learning. The learning programme is made up of self-learning activities, workshops, and project labs that revolve around 14 learning targets from creative industry up to robotics and programming.
[c] Armath Labs, operating in more than 600 schools across the country, equips students with engineering and robotics skills from an early age. It also operates internationally, including in India.
[d] FAST, with its focus on technological innovation and scientific advances in Armenia and beyond, has initiated and implemented 26 programmes in education, research, and commercialisation that have impacted more than 17,000 stakeholders in seven years.
[e] Key AI-related tech fields refers to specific AI-enabled sectors that contribute to each country’s development, including but not limited to, robotics, microelectronics, dual-use technologies, space tech, agritech, and biotech.
[1] C. Raja Mohan, “The Nimble New Minilaterals,” Foreign Policy, November 10, 2023, https://foreignpolicy.com/2023/09/11/minilateral-alliances-geopolitics-quad-aukus-i2u2-coalitions-multilateralism-india-japan-us-china/.
[2] ANI, “G20: How India Emerged as the Voice of Global South,” The Economic Times, September 6, 2023, https://economictimes.indiatimes.com/news/india/g20-how-india-emerged-as-the-voice-of-global-south/articleshow/103410416.cms?from=mdr.
[3] Syed Fazl-e-Haider, “India Becomes Armenia’s Largest Defense Supplier—Jamestown,” The Jamestown Foundation, September 12, 2024, https://jamestown.org/program/india-becomes-armenias-largest-defense-supplier/.
[4] “Armenia-India Cooperation Continues to Develop Dynamically — FM Mirzoyan,” Armenpress, March 10, 2025, https://armenpress.am/en/article/1213996.
[5] “Armenia Lays out Tech Priorities in New Government Strategy: This Week in Business,” CIVILNET, March 7, 2024, https://www.civilnet.am/en/news/767316/armenia-lays-out-tech-priorities-in-new-government-strategy-this-week-in-business/.
[6] “Investment Policy Statement on Foreign Direct Investment in Armenia,” Ministry of Economy of the Republic of Armenia, January 2025, https://mineconomy.am/media/32273/Investment%20Policy%20Statement%20on%20FDI%20in%20Armenia_4.pdf.
[7] TOI Business Desk, “Trump’s Tariff Blitz on China May Have an Unexpected Winner: India,” The Times of India, April 16, 2025, https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/business/india-business/trumps-trade-war-with-china-donald-trump-trump-tariff-on-india-and-china-us-china-trade-war-iphone-manufacturing-in-india/articleshow/120348793.cms.
[8] Make in India, Make In India, https://www.makeinindia.com/about.
[9] IndiaAI Mission, INDIAai, https://indiaai.gov.in/.
[10] Indian Ministry of Education, “Shri Dharmendra Pradhan announces 3 Centres of Excellence in AI in Healthcare, Agriculture and Sustainable Cities,” Press Release, Press Information Bureau, October 15, 2024, https://pib.gov.in/PressReleasePage.aspx?PRID=2064990.
[11] Rudra Chaudhuri and Konark Bhandari, “The US–India Initiative on Critical and Emerging Technology (iCET) from 2022 to 2025: Assessment, Learnings, and the Way Forward,” Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, October 23, 2024, https://carnegieendowment.org/research/2024/10/the-us-india-initiative-on-critical-and-emerging-technology-icet-from-2022-to-2025-assessment-learnings-and-the-way-forward?lang=en¢er=india.
[12] Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office, “UK–India Technology Security Initiative factsheet,” UK Government, July 25, 2024, https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/uk-india-technology-security-initiative-factsheet/uk-india-technology-security-initiative-factsheet.
[13] Swati Prabhu, “India Is Well-Positioned to Revitalise South-South Cooperation,” Observer Research Foundation, September 22, 2024, https://www.orfonline.org/research/india-is-well-positioned-to-revitalise-south-south-cooperation.
[14] Manya Israyelyan, “Synopsys Armenia: 20 Years of Investment in Growth and Education,” EVN Report, December 18, 2024, https://evnreport.com/creative-tech/synopsys-armenia/.
[15] Israyelyan, “Synopsys Armenia: 20 Years of Investment in Growth and Education”
[16] Aram Arkun, “Semiconductor Software Giant Synopsys and Yervant Zorian Transform Armenian Tech and the World,” Spectator, October 26, 2022, https://mirrorspectator.com/2022/10/26/semiconductor-software-giant-synopsys-and-yervant-zorian-transform-armenian-tech-and-the-world/.
[17] Charlie Campbell, “In the Shadow of War, Armenia Tries to Make Its Economy Indispensable,” TIME Magazine, October 22, 2024, https://time.com/7095800/armenia-war-russia-azerbaijan-west-economy-tech-hub/.
[18] Krisp Technologies Inc., World’s #1 Noise Cancelling App and AI Meeting Assistant, https://krisp.ai/.
[19] Picsart, Picsart: Free AI Design Tools, https://picsart.com/.
[20] Enterprise Armenia, “Armenia: A Supportive Hub for Global Tech Innovation,” Enterprise Armenia, December 2, 2024, https://enterprisearmenia.am/media/news/armenia-a-supportive-hub-for-global-tech-innovation/.
[21] Brett Hershman, “ServiceTitan’s IPO Could Be a Watershed Moment for Armenia’s Growing Tech Community,” Benzinga, December 16, 2024, https://www.benzinga.com/markets/emerging-markets/24/12/42509926/servicetitans-ipo-could-be-a-watershed-moment-for-armenias-growing-tech-community.
[22] ET Contributors, “Future-Ready India: How Edtech Can Develop the Workforce,” ETEducation.com, March 24, 2025, https://education.economictimes.indiatimes.com/news/higher-education/future-ready-india-how-edtech-can-develop-the-workforce/119411774.
[23] “STEP.Ai Science and Technology Education Program to Be Implemented in Public Schools and Colleges,” Republic of Armenia Ministry of Education, Science, Culture, and Sport, October 9, 2024, https://escs.am/en/news/24885.
[24] TUMO, TUMO – Center for Creative Technologies, https://tumo.org/.
[25] Armath Labs, “Project Description,” Armath, https://armath.am/en/about.
[26] 42 Yerevan, 42 Yerevan: Main, https://42yerevan.am/.
[27] “CBSE Collaborates with IBM to Integrate AI Curriculum in 200 Schools across India,” IBM India News Room, July 16, 2020, https://in.newsroom.ibm.com/2020-07-16-CBSE-IBM-AI-Curriculum.
[28] “Pradhan Mantri Kaushal Vikas Yojana 4.0 (PMKVY 4.0),” Ministry of Skill Development and Entrepreneurship, Government of India, https://www.msde.gov.in/offerings/schemes-and-services/details/pradhan-mantri-kaushal-vikas-yojana-4-0-pmkvy-4-0-2021.
[29] “YSU-Krisp AI Lab Opens at Yerevan State University,” ARKA Telecom, June 28, 2022. https://arkatelecom.am/en/news/development/ysu_krisp_ai_lab_opens_at_yerevan_state_university/.
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