India is speeding up efforts to build its own artificial intelligence ecosystem, with the government supporting 20 homegrown AI model proposals, allocating more than 93 lakh GPU hours and expanding AI training and safety programs under the IndiaAI Mission.
The figures were disclosed by Union Minister for Electronics and Information Technology Ashwini Vaishnaw in response to a question in the Lok Sabha. The government said the mission aims to give startups, researchers and institutions better access to computing power, data, talent and AI tools while creating jobs and managing AI risks.
Of the 20 AI models selected for support, 12 are large language models, and eight are small language models. The projects include Sarvam AI’s 30 billion and 105 billion parameter models, Gnani.ai’s speech-to-speech model, BharatGen’s multilingual models and Avataar AI’s video generation model. Other projects focus on healthcare, language technology and AI agents.
The IndiaAI Mission has empanelled 15 compute providers, approved 237 projects and allocated 93.18 lakh GPU hours. The government said these resources can be accessed by startups, researchers and institutions across the country.
The program has also supported 62 AI prototypes and helped deploy 20 AI solutions through 12 national hackathons and innovation challenges. So far, 686 fellowships have been awarded across 178 institutions, while more than 26.5 lakh people have completed the YUVA AI for All program.
How India’s sovereign AI strategy compares to the US, China and Europe
India is taking a different path from other major AI powers. The US relies heavily on private technology companies, while China is investing in its own AI models and infrastructure. Europe has placed more focus on regulation and technology independence.
India is combining government support with private companies and research institutions to build local AI models and computing capacity. The country is also focusing on AI systems built for its own needs, including Indian languages, healthcare and agriculture.
Can India reduce its dependence on Silicon Valley?
Much of the global AI industry still depends on companies based in Silicon Valley for models, cloud services and computing power. India’s investment in homegrown models and local computing resources could reduce that dependence by giving Indian companies more control over the technology they build and use.
This could matter as AI becomes more important in healthcare, agriculture and public services. Building more local capacity would also give India greater control over these systems and reduce its reliance on a small number of foreign companies. The aim is not just to build an Indian alternative to foreign AI, but to create enough local capacity for India to build and run more of its own AI systems.
Meanwhile, Artificial intelligence is beginning to reshape staffing across India’s private banking sector, with several lenders reporting smaller workforces as automation takes on more routine tasks.
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