India is set to develop its own AI chatbot to compete with global leaders like ChatGPT and DeepSeek, according to the Union Minister of Electronics and IT, Ashwini Vaishnaw. The government has announced plans for a foundational AI model, expected to be ready within the next 8 to 10 months.
The AI model will be designed specifically for the Indian context and culture, providing a localized alternative in the rapidly evolving AI landscape. The framework for this initiative was unveiled during the India AI Mission, laying the foundation for the country’s ambitious AI goals.
Vaishnaw emphasized that India's AI language model will be computationally powerful, supported by the country's 15,000 GPUs, with plans to expand to 18,600 GPUs. GPUs (Graphics Processing Units) are essential for AI development, as they enable the training of large-scale models by accelerating complex computations. They are crucial for deep learning, the backbone of modern AI systems.
To put this into perspective, DeepSeek utilized 2,000 GPUs for its AI model training, while ChatGPT required 25,000 GPUs. To support India's AI ambitions, the government has launched a shared computing infrastructure, which will provide access to 18,000 GPUs for various AI projects, helping startups, researchers, and developers in the country.
Six AI developers have already begun working on the project, which is expected to stand out due to its integration of India's diverse languages and cultural elements, making it a uniquely tailored AI model in the global competition.