The Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY) has shortlisted four Indian AI startups—Sarvam AI, Soket AI Labs, Gnani.ai, and Gan.ai—for the ambitious ₹10,000 crore IndiaAI Mission. This initiative aims to bolster the development of indigenous large language models (LLMs) and foundational AI technologies.

Sarvam AI to Receive GPU Support Worth ₹200 Crore

Sarvam AI has proposed the creation of a 70-billion parameter multimodal AI model capable of understanding both Indian languages and English. Instead of direct monetary grants, the startup is expected to receive GPU compute power valued at ₹200 crore, facilitating the development of their model. Work on this project has already commenced, signalling a proactive approach towards achieving the mission's objectives.

Read :Musk: China Thinks Tesla’s Robots Might Be Weapons?

Soket AI Labs’ Ambitious EKA Project

Soket AI Labs has outlined plans to develop a 120-billion parameter open-source Indic LLM, trained on 2 trillion tokens, under its 'EKA Project'. The company aims to deliver this within 12 months, with smaller models expected in the next six months. While the exact funding details remain undisclosed, the project's scale underscores India's commitment to advancing AI capabilities.

Gnani.ai and Gan.ai Focus on Indic Language Models

Both Gnani.ai and Gan.ai have submitted proposals centred on building smaller language models tailored for Indic languages. Gnani.ai's CEO, Ganesh Gopalan, confirmed the development of speech-to-speech models for Indian languages, highlighting the company's dedication to enhancing regional language processing.

Accelerating AI Development Amid Global Competition

The urgency to develop indigenous AI models has intensified following China's advancements in the field, notably the DeepSeek AI model. In response, MeitY announced a ₹1,500 crore incentive fund to support individuals and organisations building AI models from scratch. By mid-February, the ministry had received 67 applications, with an additional 120 submitted in March, reflecting the growing interest in AI development within the country.

Click here to read about: Perplexity's All-New iOS Voice Assistant

Establishing a Centralised GPU Infrastructure

To support these AI initiatives, MeitY has onboarded 10 GPU-as-a-service providers, including Jio, Yotta, CtrlS, Tata Communications, and NxtGen. This centralised compute infrastructure aims to offer GPU access at rates below $1 per hour, making it one of the most affordable globally and ensuring startups have the necessary resources to develop advanced AI models.

Looking Ahead: India's Vision for AI

Ashwini Vaishnaw, Minister of Information and Technology, GOI,  is expected to formally announce the selected firms in the coming days. This move marks a significant step towards realising India's vision of becoming a global leader in AI, fostering innovation, and developing technologies that cater to the diverse linguistic landscape of the nation.