India to develop AI models domestically

Last week, the Narendra Modi government announced the ‘IndiaAI Mission,’ a national-level project that ‘aims to bolster the country’s AI system.’

The recently announced IndiaAI Mission will help create artificial intelligence (AI) models that are wholly designed and built in the country, Union minister Rajeev Chandrasekhar asserted on Monday.

“We will be developing our own Indian foundational models…the world is talking about ChatGPT and OpenAI. Based on our own languages and our own India data sets, we expect that as a consequence of India’s AI mission, we will have sovereign AI models that are designed and built in India,” Chandrasekhar stated at a press conference.

Some countries in the West that have developed AI models, have an ‘advantage,’ he further said.

“They have access to this kind of infrastructure, and as part of building digital infrastructure, IndiaAI will build this AI Compute infrastructure,” Chandrasekhar, who was speaking in Kerala’s Thiruvananathapuram, explained.

What is IndiaAI Mission?
Announced by the Narendra Modi government on March 7, it is a national-level project that ‘aims to bolster the country’s AI system.’

The project, which has a total budget outlay of ₹10,372 crore – the money will be infused over the next five years – has various components. These are IndiaAI Compute Capacity, IndiaAI Innovation Centre (IAIC), IndiaAI Datasets Platform, IndiaAI Application Development Initiative, IndiaAI FutureSkills, IndiaAI Startup Financing, and Safe & Trusted AI, according to the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology.

“A landmark day for tech and innovation! The Cabinet’s approval for the IndiaAI Mission will empower AI startups and expand access to compute infrastructure, marking a giant leap in our journey towards becoming a global leader in AI innovation,” prime minister Narendra Modi had posted on X (previously Twitter) shortly after the announcement of the scheme. Hindustan Times