Sarvam AI Chosen to Create India's First AI Foundational Model
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Synopsis
The Indian government has selected Sarvam AI to develop the nation's first AI foundational model, a significant milestone in the country's AI ecosystem. The initiative aims to bolster national AI infrastructure and promote local technologies.
Key Takeaways
- Sarvam AI is chosen to create India's first AI foundational model.
- Union IT Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw expressed confidence in Sarvam's competitiveness.
- The ECMS will support various sectors.
- India AI Mission receives Rs 10,300 crore funding.
- Launch of AIKosha enhances access to datasets for AI.
New Delhi, April 26 (NationPress) The government announced on Saturday that it has chosen the local startup Sarvam AI to develop the nation’s inaugural artificial intelligence (AI) foundational model.
Among 67 submitted proposals, Sarvam AI was selected to create India’s first homegrown foundational model, stated Union IT Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw during an event to unveil the guidelines for the Electronics Components Manufacturing Scheme (ECMS), noting that 2-3 additional startups will soon join the initiative.
“We are optimistic that Sarvam’s models will stand competitive alongside global counterparts,” remarked Vaishnaw.
“The ECMS is a comprehensive scheme that will benefit multiple sectors, including electronics and automotive,” he further explained.
In December 2023, Sarvam AI, co-founded by Dr Vivek Raghavan and Pratyush Kumar, secured $41 million in a Series A funding round led by Lightspeed and supported by Peak XV Partners and Khosla Ventures, managed by Vinod Khosla.
Dr Raghavan expressed, “We are honored by the trust placed in us to create India’s sovereign model, and we are poised to develop AI that reaches every region of the country.”
“This represents a pivotal move towards establishing essential national AI infrastructure. Our aim is to develop multi-modal, multi-scale foundation models from the ground up. This will enable a range of applications. For citizens, it means engaging with AI that feels intuitive, while for businesses, it facilitates intelligence without data crossing borders,” he added.
In a significant advancement for India’s AI landscape, the government led by Prime Minister Narendra Modi approved the India AI Mission in 2024, allocating Rs 10,300 crore over the next five years to propel various elements of the initiative.
To enhance access to high-quality datasets for AI technology development, the government launched AIKosha, the nation’s sovereign datasets platform, along with an AI Compute Portal.
The government has also set a goal to produce GPUs domestically within the next three to five years as part of the larger Rs 10,000-crore India AI Mission.
The AI Compute Portal will enable companies to utilize subsidized GPUs for research and development purposes. Currently, around 14,000 GPUs are operational, with an additional 4,000 expected soon.
Previously, the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY) announced the acquisition of 18,693 GPUs from selected suppliers.
