Virudhunagar, a historic town in southeastern India known for its ancient temples, is now making waves in the world of artificial intelligence (AI). While its cultural heritage dates back thousands of years, the town is also home to cutting-edge AI work, thanks to the rise of cloud farming—a trend where tech firms decentralize operations to smaller, cost-effective locations. Mohan Kumar, an AI annotation specialist, exemplifies this shift. He collects and labels data to train AI models, enabling them to recognize and predict objects independently. Kumar works for Desicrew, a pioneer in cloud farming since 2005, which aims to bring jobs to rural areas rather than forcing migration to cities. Desicrew’s CEO, Mannivannan J K, emphasizes the company’s mission to create world-class careers closer to home, with 30-40% of its current work being AI-related, a figure expected to rise to 75-100% soon. Transcription—converting audio to text—is a key focus, as it forms the foundation for AI to understand diverse languages and dialects. Similarly, NextWealth, founded in 2008, has embraced AI, employing 5,000 staff across 11 small-town offices. Co-founder Mythily Ramesh highlights the untapped potential of first-generation graduates from rural areas, many of whom come from farming or artisan families. NextWealth’s work, 70% of which comes from the US, includes training advanced AI algorithms. Both companies underscore the transformative impact of these jobs, particularly for women, who make up 60-70% of their workforce. However, challenges remain, including perceptions of data security and the need for reliable internet in smaller towns. Despite these hurdles, experts like KS Viswanathan believe India’s small towns are poised to become global hubs for AI operations, building on the country’s legacy in IT services.