India is set to launch its own indigenous artificial intelligence (AI) model. Union Minister, Ashwini Vaishnaw, made this announcement in New Delhi at Electronics Niketan. He emphasized that India, being a trusted nation, will strengthen its position as a reliable hub for ethical AI solutions. This move aligns with the government’s vision to provide affordable AI access to all, ensuring economic empowerment for people at all levels.
The India AI model is supported by a high-end common computing facility, which aims to develop AI solutions customized for Indian languages and contexts. Scientists, researchers, and developers are actively working on multiple foundational models, and with the rapid progress, the AI model is expected to be ready within the next six months.
The AI model will initially operate with 10,000 Graphics Processing Units (GPUs), with an additional 8,693 GPUs set to be integrated soon. This will benefit researchers, students, and developers, providing them with access to advanced computing resources at an affordable cost. The mission’s technical partners have expressed confidence in its ability to democratize AI access at competitive rates.
While global AI models charge approximately $2.5 to $3 per hour for computing, India’s AI model will be available for less than Rs 100 per hour after a 40% government subsidy. Additionally, attractive half-yearly and annual subscription plans will further enhance affordability.
Within just ten months of its launch, the India AI Mission, under the Ministry of Electronics & Information Technology (MeitY), has established a robust computing facility comprising 18,693 GPUs. This is nearly nine times the capacity of the open-source DeepSeek model and about two-thirds of ChatGPT’s computing power.
The Union Minister also hinted at the possibility of hosting DeepSeek on Indian servers after security evaluations, allowing Indian developers to benefit from its open-source code.
Ensuring the ethical and safe deployment of AI remains a top priority. To address AI-related risks, India is setting up an AI Safety Institute, adopting a techno-legal approach. The government has launched eight key projects to ensure data privacy and algorithmic fairness, including machine unlearning, AI bias mitigation, and explainable AI frameworks. Several top institutions, including IITs and research organizations, are leading these efforts to create a trustworthy AI ecosystem.
A significant milestone of the India AI Mission is the establishment of a common compute facility, surpassing global benchmarks in AI development. This facility, equipped with high-end GPUs such as NVIDIA H100 and AMD MI300, will enable advanced research, ethical AI development, and innovation. Technical partners have already shown confidence in this infrastructure, and once fully operational, it will be accessible to all stakeholders.
To further accelerate AI adoption, MeitY has invited AI service providers to participate in the initiative. Following a rigorous selection process, ten bidders have been shortlisted to offer AI compute units and cloud services at competitive rates. The selected bidders, including Tata Communications, Jio Platforms, and Yotta Data Services, will provide access to AI compute infrastructure using various high-end GPUs, ensuring a cost-effective AI ecosystem for researchers, startups, and industries.
Under the India AI Mission, the government has also launched a call for proposals to develop India’s foundational AI models. This initiative encourages startups, researchers, and organizations to create AI models tailored to Indian requirements. The selected AI models, whether large language models (LLMs) or small language models (SLMs), will be trained on Indian datasets to enhance linguistic, cultural, and contextual relevance. Funding and support mechanisms, including grants, equity-based investments, and co-financing, have been established to ensure the successful execution of these projects.
The mission’s focus extends beyond research and development. It aims to deploy AI applications across crucial sectors such as healthcare, agriculture, disaster management, and weather forecasting. These AI-driven solutions will address challenges like climate change, learning disabilities, and soil health monitoring, benefiting millions of citizens.
Affordability remains a key highlight of India’s AI initiative. With GPU computing costs set at approximately Rs 115.85 per hour—significantly lower than global benchmarks—the initiative ensures inclusive AI access. The project has already received global recognition.
Looking ahead, the India AI Mission has outlined a roadmap for sustainable AI development. With a four-year sunset clause, the mission is aligned with India’s broader semiconductor initiatives. The government has already invested over $30 billion in the semiconductor sector, ensuring a strong foundation for future AI advancements.
The initiative also recognizes the importance of AI safety. Real-time detection tools, deep-fake mitigation strategies, and risk management frameworks will be implemented to safeguard AI deployments. India’s commitment to AI education is evident, with over 240 universities offering AI courses and 100 universities equipped with 5G labs.
The event was attended by Minister of State for Electronics & Information Technology, Jitin Prasada, along with senior officials from MeitY and IndiaAI.
