India's first govt-funded AI model enters final stages, set to revolutionise local applications

The Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY) is in the final stages of selecting India’s first foundational artificial intelligence (AI) model to be funded by the government, shared S Krishnan, secretary, MeitY, speaking at the 2nd edition of Startup Mahakumbh. The model will be chosen from a pool of proposals submitted under the IndiaAI Mission, marking a critical step in the country’s AI ecosystem development.

The MeitY secretary emphasised the government’s focus on ensuring India has its own AI models tailored to local needs and applications. “This will be India’s first government-funded foundational model, which will help set the stage for further AI advancements,” he said. He added that it need not necessarily be a large language model but it needs to focus on the kind of issues that are relevant to India “in terms of the number of languages spoken and the way that you make it relevant across the country”.

Building AI for India

The move aligns with India’s ambition to develop AI capabilities suited to its linguistic and socio-economic diversity. Krishnan highlighted that while global AI models exist, India needs solutions customised for its unique requirements, especially in regional languages and domain-specific applications.

“We need AI models that cater to the scale and diversity of India—models that understand Indian languages, dialects, and specific industry needs,” he said while adding, “The potential for AI in applications across various sectors could raise productivity tremendously in manufacturing and various other sectors.”

 The IndiaAI Mission, which received Cabinet approval in March, has been structured to create a robust AI ecosystem in the country. This includes initiatives to strengthen computing infrastructure, support AI startups, and develop datasets to train models effectively.

Additionally, Krishnan stressed upon the government’s role in fostering AI innovation while balancing regulatory oversight. He reiterated that MeitY’s approach is to support AI development while ensuring responsible deployment.

“Our job is to provide the necessary push while also ensuring that AI is used ethically and responsibly. We are working on frameworks that will address both innovation and risks,” he said.

India has also been working on computing infrastructure to support large-scale AI projects. The country is looking at setting up AI supercomputing capabilities to facilitate research and development.

Need for industry collaboration

Krishnan emphasised that the foundational AI model initiative is just the beginning. The government aims to encourage industry and academia collaborations to build AI applications across sectors like healthcare, agriculture, and education.

“The AI landscape in India is evolving rapidly. We are not just looking at one model but creating an ecosystem where multiple innovations can thrive,” he said.

With the foundational model’s selection in its final stages, MeitY’s initiative is expected to play a key role in India’s AI strategy. “The idea is to create, we all need to collaborate, we all need to work together simply to create a critical mass of activity,” concluded Krishnan.