Sarvam AI to build India’s first AI model

New Delhi

The government has selected homegrown startup Sarvam AI to build India’s first artificial intelligence (AI) foundational model. Union IT Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw announced the selection at an event releasing the guidelines for the Electronics Components Manufacturing Scheme (ECMS). Sarvam AI was chosen from 67 proposals, with more startups expected to join soon.

Founded by Vivek Raghavan and Pratyush Kumar, Sarvam AI raised $41 million in its Series A round in December 2023, with investors including Lightspeed, Peak XV Partners, and Khosla Ventures.

This move is part of the larger India AI Mission, launched in 2024 with a funding of Rs 10,300 crore over five years. The mission aims to strengthen India's AI ecosystem by supporting innovation, research, and infrastructure development.

To boost AI development, the government has launched AIKosha, a platform for quality sovereign datasets, and an AI Compute Portal. These initiatives will help startups and researchers access important resources easily.

The AI Compute Portal will offer subsidized GPUs for research. Currently, 14,000 GPUs are available, with 4,000 more expected soon. The Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY) has also announced the procurement of 18,693 GPUs to support AI research.

Additionally, the government plans to develop GPUs domestically within three to five years, further boosting self-reliance.

Minister Vaishnaw said the ECMS scheme will help multiple sectors, including electronics and automotive industries.

With Sarvam AI leading the way, India aims to build strong AI capabilities and position itself as a global leader in artificial intelligence innovation and technology.