Is the Government Really Developing 500 Data Labs Nationwide under the 'India AI Mission'?
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Synopsis
Discover the government's ambitious plan to enhance AI infrastructure across India with the establishment of over 500 data labs. This initiative under the 'India AI Mission' aims to boost AI talent and develop indigenous language models, making a significant impact on various sectors.
Key Takeaways
- Over 500 data labs will be established across India.
- Rs 10,300 crore allocated for the IndiaAI Mission.
- Focus on developing large language models (LLMs).
- Creation of sovereign LLMs to reduce foreign dependency.
- Industry-specific small language models (SLMs) are in development.
New Delhi, Sep 18 (NationPress) IT Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw revealed on Thursday that the government plans to set up over 500 data labs throughout the country as part of the 'India AI Mission' aimed at enhancing artificial intelligence (AI) talent and infrastructure.
During a pre-event for the AI Impact Summit 2026, he elaborated that this initiative is part of the broader IndiaAI Mission, which has shortlisted eight new companies, including Tech Mahindra, Fractal Analytics, and BharatGen, a consortium from IIT Bombay, to develop large language models (LLMs).
The government has allocated Rs 988.6 crore under the IndiaAI Mission for the IIT Bombay-led consortium to create an LLM with 1 trillion parameters. The parameters refer to the internal variables in LLMs that identify linguistic relationships and patterns from training data.
The IndiaAI Mission represents the Centre's effort to foster autonomous AI capabilities through sector-specific applications, sovereign LLMs, GPUs, and skill development programs. Earlier this year, it received approval with an investment of Rs 10,300 crore.
According to Vaishnaw, the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY) and the Office of the Principal Scientific Adviser will unveil an AI framework within the next ten days.
Additionally, industry-focused small language models (SLMs) are currently being developed for sectors such as manufacturing, logistics, transportation, agriculture, and weather forecasting.
While the nation has 34,000 GPUs available, the minister indicated that IndiaAI Mission CEO Abhishek Singh has been tasked with exploring the addition of 10,000 more GPUs.
He also highlighted the importance of an international framework for AI governance, cautioning that reaching consensus may take time.
A crucial aspect of the mission is to create sovereign LLMs, which are large language models trained on Indian datasets and languages, thereby reducing reliance on foreign AI systems.
To train and deploy large AI models, substantial computational power is required, and India currently has 34,000 GPUs allocated to this mission.
Vaishnaw stated that the AI framework will be released in the coming ten days, with the initial language models designed for specific industries focusing on manufacturing, transportation, logistics, weather forecasting, and agriculture.
Point of View
Ensuring a robust AI landscape tailored to India's unique needs.
NationPress
20/09/2025
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the purpose of the 'India AI Mission'?
The 'India AI Mission' aims to enhance AI infrastructure and talent across the nation by establishing data labs and developing indigenous large language models.
How much funding has been allocated for this mission?
The government has allocated Rs 10,300 crore for the IndiaAI Mission, with Rs 988.6 crore specifically for developing LLMs.
Which companies are involved in the India AI Mission?
Eight companies have been selected, including Tech Mahindra, Fractal Analytics, and BharatGen from IIT Bombay.
What is the significance of sovereign LLMs?
Sovereign LLMs are large language models trained on Indian datasets, reducing reliance on international AI systems.
When will the AI framework be introduced?
The AI framework is expected to be unveiled in the next ten days.
