Why in the News?
The Indian government has announced plans to develop its own large language model (LLM) as part of the ₹10,370 crore IndiaAI Mission.
The initiative aims to boost India’s artificial intelligence (AI) ecosystem by creating a bias-free, culturally contextualized AI model.
The move comes amid global advancements in AI, including China's recent launch of the DeepSeek foundational model.
What’s in Today’s Article?
- Govt Strategy (Key Developments, India’s AI Model, Companies Selected, Reasons, Challenges, etc.)
Key Developments and Government Strategy:
- Building India’s AI Model
- Union IT Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw confirmed that the government has been actively engaging with startups, researchers, and academic institutions over the past 1.5 years to develop a world-class foundational AI model.
- The initiative is expected to take 4-8 months for completion.
- The government is currently in discussions with six AI developers to work on the project, though specific details about costs and involved companies remain undisclosed.
- Hardware Support: 18,693 GPUs Approved
- To facilitate AI model training and research, the government has selected 10 companies to supply a total of 18,693 high-end Graphics Processing Units (GPUs), which are crucial for developing machine learning and AI models.
Companies Selected for GPU Supply:
- Yotta (Hiranandani Group-backed) – 9,216 GPUs (largest contributor), Jio Platforms, Tata Communications, E2E Networks, CMS Computers, Ctrls Datacenters, Locuz Enterprise Solutions, NxtGen Datacenter, Orient Technologies, Vensysco Technologies
- According to Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw, 10,000 GPUs are ready for immediate installation to support AI projects.
Affordable Compute Power for AI Developers:
- The government plans to launch a common compute facility to provide startups and researchers with affordable access to GPU resources.
- Pricing for Compute Access:
- High-end GPUs: ₹150 per hour
- Lower-end GPUs: ₹115.85 per hour
- Government Subsidy: 40% discount for startups and research institutions
- Competitive Pricing: Post-subsidy rates will be around $1 per hour, significantly lower than global GPU access costs of $2.5-$3 per hour.
Application-Level AI Development:
- Under the IndiaAI Mission, the government has selected 18 AI-based applications for funding in its first phase.
- These applications focus on agriculture, learning disabilities, and climate change—key sectors where AI can drive social and economic impact.
Reasons for India Investing in AI Development:
- With AI emerging as a key driver of innovation and economic growth, India aims to:
- Reduce dependency on foreign AI models and promote indigenous AI research.
- Support multilingual AI capabilities to cater to India’s diverse linguistic and cultural landscape.
- Enhance computational capabilities to strengthen AI startups and research institutions.
- Compete with global AI advancements, ensuring India remains a major player in AI development.
Challenges and Future Outlook:
- While India’s AI mission is ambitious, certain challenges remain:
- Infrastructure Development: Ensuring seamless GPU availability and processing capacity.
- Skilled Workforce: Training researchers and developers to build high-quality AI models.
- Regulatory Frameworks: Establishing AI ethics, data privacy, and security guidelines.
- The government’s proactive approach in setting up funding, compute infrastructure, and industry collaborations positions India strongly in the global AI race.
- If successfully executed, the IndiaAI Mission could transform India into a major AI hub, reducing reliance on foreign AI systems while driving technological progress across sectors.