New Delhi: The Union government on Friday approved the empanelment of 15,640 new graphic processing unit (GPU) processors from data centre and cloud service providers, and also appointed three new startups that will get access to these chips for free, to train their artificial intelligence models.
Sanjeev Bikhchandani’s Info Edge Ventures-backed AI startup, Gnani.ai, was one of the three startups appointed to build a sovereign foundational AI model for voice-based AI services. The startup will build a 14-billion parameter voice AI model and real-time speech processing and “advanced reasoning capabilities.” Foundational AI models are typically better when they are based on larger volumes of training data. But, smaller models are less expensive to train, are more targeted towards specific industries, and are easier to run.
The other two startups appointed include Bengaluru-based Sokal AI Labs, and Noida-based Gan AI. While Sokai AI is building a 120-billion parameter foundational AI model catering to defence, education and healthcare sectors, Gan AI will build a 70-billion parameter multilingual foundational model for varied applications.
Sovereign AI models refer to foundational algorithms built for usage in generative AI applications, but not by global companies. Sovereign models are typically trained on a nation’s indigenous datasets, which theoretically help in adding local market data, language and context to AI applications.
The three startups join Peak XV-backed Sarvam AI, which became the first startup appointed by the ministry of electronics and information technology (Meity) to build a foundational AI model for India. Union IT minister Ashwini Vaishnaw said that the first of the four foundational models will be rolled out before the end of 2025.
Yotta helps out
In terms of compute, Hiranandani Group’s Yotta Data Services was empanelled by Meity a second time, and will supply over 8,000 units of Nvidia’s B200 GPUs to cater to the mission. A senior official with direct knowledge of the matter said requesting anonymity that the GPUs will be brought into service within the next two to three months, as Yotta is still in the process of installing them in its data centres.
Sify Digital Services was also a part of the empanelled GPU providers, and will supply an unspecified number of Nvidia’s H100, H200 and L4 GPU chips.
Access to these GPUs is crucial in terms of training AI models. Ganesh Gopalan, chief executive of Gnani.ai, told Mint that the government empanelment will reduce the company’s operating cost to “one-tenth of what it was before.”
Abhishek Upperwal, chief executive of Soket AI, added that “over 70%” of the company’s cost of research and development, as well as training of AI models, are linked to access to GPUs for computing power. “This is the least possible cost of compute that we’re getting access to. We’re in talks with venture capital firms for a seed funding round in order to accelerate our research, and within the next one year, a version of our foundational model should be ready,” Upperwal said.
Abhishek Singh, chief executive of India AI Mission and additional secretary, Meity, added that the Centre had received “more than 500 applications for developing India’s foundational models.”
“There will be more startup selections in the next few days. On 9 June, Meity is also meeting applicants to empanel more cloud compute providers, and there will be a rolling empanelment process where vendors will be brought online as and when required,” Singh added.
Atmanirbhar Bharat
The $1.2-billion IndiaAI Mission is tasked with backing startups to build foundational AI models in India, create a subsidized cloud compute platform to help academia, researchers and startups access GPUs to train AI models, and create datasets in Indian languages to train AI models. It is also set to build a marketplace to help startups developing AI models to sell their services to clients.
Access to a foundational model is expected to reduce a nation’s dependence on other countries for what is being viewed as a fundamental piece of technology going forward.
Entrepreneurs added that the development can amplify market outreach for startups building sovereign AI models. “The government itself can be a key client. But additionally, reducing the cost of compute can help startups build models more efficiently, which in turn can reduce the need for capital that is the biggest cost factor behind developing AI models and conducting R&D,” Gnani.ai’s Gopalan added.
Vaishnaw added that the new announcements mark “significant progress” under the goals set forth by the IndiaAI Mission. “We have 367 datasets on the mission’s non-personal data platform, AI Kosh. The entire ecosystem is being built right now in AI, and the IT industry should capture this transition as an opportunity, rather than be disrupted by it. AI development is also creating an opportunity to reverse India’s brain drain, and bring talented engineers back to the country,” the minister said.
