India Solidifies Commitment to Generative AI With BharatGen Union Minister Dr. Jitendra Singh deemed BharatGen as the world's 1st government-funded Multimodal Large Language Model project
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To accelerate the momentum of Artificial Intelligence (AI) in India, the Government of India has launched an initiative called BharatGen. This GenAI initiative aims to revolutionise public service delivery and enhance citizen engagement through a multimodal Large Language Model (LLM).
Led by IIT Bombay under the National Mission on Interdisciplinary Cyber-Physical Systems (NM-ICPS), and funded by the Department of Science and Technology (DST), BharatGen will focus on creating high-quality AI-generated text and multimodal content in various Indian languages, contributing to India's technological self-reliance.
"BharatGen is a proud example of India's commitment to advancing homegrown technologies. It positions India as a global leader in the field of Generative AI, much like our achievements with UPI and other innovations that have transformed various sectors," said Union Minister Dr. Jitendra Singh. He deemed BharatGen as the world's 1st government-funded Multimodal Large Language Model project.
Furthermore, its key distinguishing features include multilingual and multimodal foundational models, the utilization of India-specific datasets for model development and training, an open-source platform, and the establishment of a national ecosystem for generative AI research.
Deo Saurabh, co-founder, We Founder Circle and Avinya Ventures shares, "Having an indigenous model will secure India's AI capabilities in times of geopolitical tensions, making the country less vulnerable to external influences."
By creating foundational AI models for India, the project will align with the vision of Atmanirbhar Bharat. BharatGen joins the list of homegrown AI platforms, including BharatGPT, Bhashini, and OpenHathi, all working towards building India's AI ecosystem.
The country is home to more than 100 GenAI startups that have raised over USD 600 million since 2019. In the first half of 2024, GenAI investments were predominantly in the early stages, with most deals below USD 50 million. For Saurabh, the project will pave the way for new innovations, "This will open new opportunities for innovation tailored to Indian needs, reducing reliance on foreign models. This will attract startups to make businesses in scalable, India-first AI solutions that integrate with the Bharat stack, boosting the entire ecosystem."
Ankush Sabharwal, founder and CEO, CoRover (maker of BharatGPT) commends the launch and calls it 'a forward-thinking step that will significantly impact the future of AI in India.' "This initiative is a testament to India's commitment to fostering inclusivity by addressing the rich linguistic and cultural diversity of the nation, positioning India as a global leader in AI," Sabharwal shared.
"BharatGen is aligned with the goal of making AI accessible to all citizens," said Professor Abhay Karandikar, Secretary, DST. He further added that BharatGen will use AI for industrial and commercial purposes along with national concerns like cultural preservation and inclusive technology development.
The project, expected to be completed in two years, will look to achieve extensive AI model development, experimentation, scaling AI adoption across industries and the establishment of India's AI benchmarks by 2026.
