India Set to Launch Affordable and Secure Indigenous AI Model, Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw Announces
India is on the cusp of launching its own indigenous artificial intelligence (AI) model, designed to be secure, cost-effective, and tailored to meet the country’s diverse needs. Union Minister for Electronics & Information Technology, Railways, and Information & Broadcasting, Ashwini Vaishnaw, announced the launch of this ambitious AI initiative today at Electronics Niketan in New Delhi. The initiative will leverage India’s high-end common computing facilities to deliver an AI model that is affordable, locally relevant, and ethically grounded.
Vaishnaw highlighted the key benefits of this model, stressing that it will not only empower researchers, developers, and students but also contribute to India’s growing position as a global leader in ethical AI solutions. He stated that the Indian AI model would be a “timely step” that reinforces the country’s reputation as a trusted player in the global tech landscape. He further emphasized that the mission is aligned with Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s vision of making modern technology accessible to everyone, especially the people at the bottom of the pyramid, to empower them economically.
Affordable and Scalable AI Solutions for India
A major highlight of this initiative is the affordable pricing structure. Currently, global AI models cost between $2.5 and $3 per hour of usage, but India’s AI model will be priced at under ₹100 per hour after a 40% government subsidy. This pricing strategy, along with attractive half-yearly and annual plans, will make AI resources accessible to a wider audience, including students, researchers, and developers.
The AI model is based on an advanced computing infrastructure with approximately 18,693 GPUs (Graphics Processing Units), nearly nine times the capacity of the open-source model DeepSeek and two-thirds the computing power required by ChatGPT. This high-end facility will play a crucial role in democratizing access to AI, particularly in the Indian context, where there is a growing demand for affordable computing resources. Shri Vaishnaw noted that the AI infrastructure is set to expand further with the addition of 8,693 more GPUs, which will significantly enhance the country’s AI research capabilities.
Focus on Indian Context and Indian Languages
One of the core objectives of the Indian AI model is to address local context and linguistic diversity. The AI model is being customized to serve the unique needs of Indian society, using Indian languages to ensure inclusivity and fairness. Multiple foundational models are being developed in line with this goal, with the expectation that these models will be ready within the next six to eight months. This will significantly benefit researchers and students, who will have access to fast, reliable, and cost-effective computing power tailored to the Indian landscape.
Vaishnaw explained that, initially, the AI model would focus on 18 citizen-centric applications in critical sectors like agriculture, learning disabilities, and climate change. These applications are expected to have a transformative impact on sectors that affect millions of people. For example, AI solutions for agriculture will help farmers optimize crop yields, while AI tools for climate change will help in forecasting weather patterns and mitigating the impact of environmental disasters.
DeepSeek to Be Hosted on Indian Servers
One of the key components of the India AI Mission is the integration of the open-source AI model DeepSeek, which will soon be hosted on Indian servers following comprehensive security checks. By hosting DeepSeek locally, India aims to ensure that coders, developers, and designers can access and contribute to its open-source code while maintaining data security and privacy standards. This move also aligns with India’s commitment to ensuring the safety and ethical deployment of AI technologies.
AI Safety and Ethical Deployment: A Top Priority
While developing cutting-edge AI solutions, the Indian government remains committed to ensuring that AI technologies are used ethically and safely. Shri Vaishnaw highlighted that the India AI Mission will establish an AI Safety Institute, which will adopt a techno-legal approach to address AI risks. The institute will collaborate with academia, startups, the private sector, and government ministries to ensure that AI technologies are deployed in a manner that is both safe and secure.
Key projects under the AI Safety Institute will include:
- Machine Unlearning (IIT Jodhpur)
- Synthetic Data Generation (IIT Roorkee)
- AI Bias Mitigation Strategy (NIT Raipur)
- Explainable AI Framework (Defence Institute of Advanced Technology, Pune & Minecraft Technologies)
- Privacy Enhancing Strategies (IIT Delhi, IIIT Delhi, IIT Dharwad & Telecom Engineering Centre)
- AI Ethical Certification Framework (IIIT Delhi & TEC)
- AI Algorithm Auditing Framework (Civic Data Labs)
- AI Governance Testing Framework (Amrita Vidyapeetham & Telecom Engineering Centre)
These projects will help mitigate the risks associated with AI, ensuring that AI systems are fair, transparent, and accountable.
Common Compute Facility: Foundation for Democratic AI Development
The India AI Mission has set up a common computing facility that will be available to all stakeholders. This facility will host an array of GPUs, including high-performance H100 and H200 units, designed to cater to the growing demand for AI processing power. The facility’s design ensures that both large-scale research and small-scale development projects will benefit from the resources. This will help foster innovation in India’s AI ecosystem, providing affordable and efficient computing infrastructure to a wide range of users.
Empanelment of AI Services on Cloud
The India AI Mission has also made strides in promoting cloud-based AI services. The Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY) published a Request for Empanelment (RFE) for AI services on the cloud, opening the door for academic institutions, startups, and public sector agencies to access AI compute resources. Several bidders have already submitted proposals, and the financial bids for these services are being evaluated. This initiative will make cloud-based AI infrastructure available to a broader range of users, including researchers, businesses, and governments.
Setting Up the IndiaAI Safety Institute
In line with the growing importance of AI safety, the government has set up the IndiaAI Safety Institute. This institute will focus on advancing indigenous AI research, leveraging Indian datasets and contextualizing AI models to meet the country’s unique social, economic, and cultural needs. The IndiaAI Safety Institute will work in collaboration with various research institutions, private sector players, and government bodies to ensure that AI technologies deployed in India are safe, secure, and aligned with national priorities.
AI for Real-World Applications
Vaishnaw emphasized that the true potential of AI lies in its ability to solve real-world challenges. Beyond chatbots and image generation, AI has the power to revolutionize industries such as healthcare, agriculture, and transportation. Some of the key areas where AI can make a significant impact include:
- Agriculture: AI-powered solutions can help monitor soil health, predict weather patterns, and optimize irrigation systems to improve crop yield and reduce wastage.
- Healthcare: AI can play a pivotal role in diagnosing diseases, predicting health trends, and optimizing hospital management systems.
- Disaster Management: AI can help predict natural disasters such as cyclones and floods, enabling timely evacuations and minimizing damage.
India’s Long-Term AI Vision
The India AI Mission is part of a broader strategic vision for the country’s technological future. The government has committed significant resources to developing the AI ecosystem, with over ₹10,372 crore allocated for the mission. The AI initiative is part of India’s broader push to establish itself as a global hub for technological innovation, powered by ethical AI solutions.
As part of the IndiaAI Mission, the government has launched a Call for Proposals to support the development of foundational AI models. These proposals are aimed at creating large multimodal and language models using Indian datasets, addressing key challenges in sectors such as healthcare, education, agriculture, and governance. The proposals will be evaluated based on factors such as innovation, feasibility, ethical compliance, and scalability.
A Bright Future for India’s AI Ecosystem
With the foundation laid for a secure, affordable, and locally relevant AI ecosystem, India is poised to emerge as a global leader in AI development. The India AI Mission’s focus on inclusivity, ethical standards, and innovation ensures that AI will be a transformative tool for solving the country’s most pressing challenges. From agriculture to disaster management, India’s indigenous AI model will revolutionize multiple sectors, benefiting millions of citizens and reinforcing India’s position as a technological powerhouse.
The mission’s success will depend on continued collaboration between government bodies, the private sector, academia, and startups, all working towards a common goal of creating a robust and sustainable AI ecosystem that serves the needs of the nation.
