Ministry of Railways (GODL-India)
India Selects Sarvam AI to Develop Indigenous Large Language Model
In a strategic move to bolster its artificial intelligence ecosystem, India has selected Bengaluru-based Sarvam AI to develop the nation’s first sovereign large language model (LLM) under the IndiaAI Mission. This initiative represents a pivotal step towards strengthening India’s technological self-reliance and enhancing its competitiveness in the global AI landscape.
IndiaAI Mission
Spearheaded by the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY), the IndiaAI Mission aims to establish a robust AI infrastructure tailored to India’s diverse linguistic and cultural context. The sovereign LLM project is central to this ambition, ensuring that AI platforms are better suited to serve India’s vast and varied population while safeguarding national interests.
The mission underscores India’s commitment to achieving technological sovereignty and reducing reliance on foreign AI technologies.
Sarvam AI’s Strategic Role
Sarvam AI has been tasked with the development of three distinct AI models:
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Sarvam-Large: Designed for advanced reasoning and complex content generation tasks.
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Sarvam-Small: Optimized for real-time, interactive applications.
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Sarvam-Edge: Tailored for on-device operations without continuous internet connectivity.
To facilitate this ambitious project, Sarvam AI will access 4,086 H100 GPUs over six months. Additionally, the startup will collaborate with AI4Bharat at IIT Madras, leveraging expertise in Indian language technologies to refine the models’ capabilities for regional and vernacular contexts.
Sovereign LLM Initiative
Union Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw emphasized that India’s foundational AI models would be globally competitive. He stressed the importance of developing indigenous AI solutions to ensure data privacy, national security, and equitable technological advancement across sectors.
By investing in the sovereign LLM project, India signals its determination to lead in AI innovation while addressing the unique demands of its multilingual, multicultural society. The collaboration with Sarvam AI marks a critical milestone in achieving the broader vision of the IndiaAI Mission — positioning India at the forefront of the global AI revolution.
