India’s ambition to become a global leader in artificial intelligence is rapidly taking shape through the India AI Mission, a government-backed initiative designed to foster the development of foundational AI models tailored for the nation’s unique needs. One of the most significant revelations from the ongoing mission is that out of 506 foundational AI model proposals, 43 are specifically dedicated to building large language models (LLMs), reflecting a clear strategic emphasis on sovereign and culturally relevant AI.
Large language models have emerged as the cornerstone of India’s AI innovation strategy. These models, which underpin advanced generative AI applications, are seen as vital for addressing the country’s linguistic diversity and supporting population-scale deployments. Startups such as Sarvam, Gnani, Gan, and Soket AI Labs are at the forefront, receiving investment capital, GPU access, and other government incentives to accelerate their LLM development efforts.
The focus on LLMs is not just about technological advancement but also about data sovereignty and cultural adaptation. As Sunil Gupta, CEO of Yotta Data Services, highlighted at the AI for India Summit 2025, the high demand for GPU resources often more than 2,000 GPUs per model signals a pivotal shift in India’s AI landscape. Just 18 months ago, the country was debating the need for even 1,000 GPUs; today, at least 47 proposals require more than double that number, underscoring the scale and seriousness of India’s AI ambitions.
The India AI Mission, approved in 2024 under the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY), is providing robust support to AI startups and research institutions. The government’s GPU infrastructure, with an installed capacity of 17,374 GPUs out of a proposed 34,333, is among the most affordable in the world and is crucial for training large-scale AI models. This infrastructure is enabling a new generation of Indian talent to build, deploy, and optimize indigenous foundational models, supporting the broader goals of technological self-reliance and Atmanirbhar Bharat
Sarvam, a Bengaluru-based AI company, has been selected to develop India’s first homegrown LLM, with dedicated compute resources and a focus on Indian languages and reasoning capabilities. Other likely contenders for government support include conversational AI platform CoRover.ai, a consortium of Indian professors based abroad, and an agricultural research university. These efforts are complemented by initiatives like the IndiaAI Innovation Centre, IndiaAI Datasets Platform, and IndiaAI FutureSkills, all aimed at nurturing a vibrant AI ecosystem.
While India has yet to produce a world-class LLM on par with global leaders like OpenAI’s ChatGPT or China’s DeepSeek, the current wave of proposals and government backing marks a decisive step forward. The emphasis on foundational models that can reason, understand, and communicate in multiple Indian languages is expected to unlock new AI applications across sectors such as education, agriculture, healthcare, and governance.
The India AI Mission’s strategic focus on LLMs is not only fostering innovation but also ensuring that AI solutions are aligned with India’s cultural, linguistic, and societal context. As government grants and private equity continue to fund these initiatives, the push for indigenous AI is set to pave the way for a new era of digital transformation and global competitiveness.
