NICSI Floats Empanelment For 20 Tech Firms To Spearhead AI-Powered Revamp Of Govt IT Infrastructure

New Delhi, Jul 3 (KNN) The Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY) is looking to constitute a panel of up to 20 technology companies to drive artificial intelligence-enabled modernisation of legacy IT systems across central ministries, state governments, public sector undertakings, and other government entities.

The requirement has been laid out in a Request for Empanelment floated on 25 June by National Informatics Centre Services Incorporated (NICSI), an autonomous body under the IT ministry, Moneycontrol reported.

The panel will comprise up to 10 vendors in the general category and an additional 10 slots reserved for startups and micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs). 

Selected firms will undertake modernisation projects through project-specific work orders issued by NICSI, eliminating the need for departments to conduct separate procurement exercises for each project.

Scope of Work

Vendors will be expected to assess existing government applications, identify obsolete technology stacks, and recommend appropriate modernisation strategies. 

AI features prominently in the scope, with the government seeking to integrate machine learning, generative AI, agentic AI, intelligent automation, and advanced analytics into modernisation projects rather than treating AI as a standalone feature. AI governance mechanisms are also required as part of programme management.

Beyond software upgrades, empanelled firms will be expected to modernise government data infrastructure through the implementation of data lakes, data warehouses, and related systems.
Empanelment Terms and Evaluation

The empanelment has been proposed for an initial period of three years, with an option to extend by a further two years subject to performance. 

The evaluation process places significant emphasis on technical capability, with bidders required to clear a multi-stage assessment covering eligibility, technical scoring, and presentations before proceeding to financial evaluation.

(KNN Bureau)