Against the backdrop of increasingly fierce competition in global AI technology, the Indian government has launched a major artificial intelligence project called BharatGen. The project is fully supported by the Ministry of Science and Technology of India, with a planned investment of approximately Rs 23.5 billion (about US$27 million) to build a basic AI model of India's independence to ensure the independence and autonomy of the country in the field of science and technology. The launch of BharatGen marks an important step in India’s strategic layout in the field of artificial intelligence.
The advancement of the BharatGen project is not accidental, but under the influence of the development of international AI technologies such as China's DeepSeek, it has accelerated the pace of India's establishment of independent large-scale AI models. According to official news, India’s AI mission has received 67 proposals, of which 20 plan to build a large language model (LLM). Among these proposals, BharatGen stands out with its unique national strategic goals and extensive technical support and becomes an important engine for the development of AI in India.
The project is jointly participated by many top academic institutions in India, including Indian Institute of Technology Mumbai, Kanpur, Mandi, Madras, Hyderabad, and Indian Institute of Management India. BharatGen is not only a technology project, but also an AI mission at the national level, aiming to promote in-depth cooperation between various departments and ensure long-term development of technology and autonomous control of intellectual property rights. Through this project, India hopes to gain a place in the global AI technology competition.
Professor Ramakrishnan, head of BharatGen, said the project has made significant technological progress and has received attention from senior government officials. Indian Science and Technology Minister Vaishnaf also publicly stated that India will have its own basic AI model within 7 to 8 months, and BharatGen is the key to achieving this goal. This timeline shows the urgency and determination of the Indian government for the development of AI technology.
Unlike many private companies, BharatGen focuses more on academic foundations and emphasizes long-term innovation and sustainable development. Professor Ramakrishnan pointed out that private enterprises tend to focus only on business interests and are difficult to truly serve India's diverse cultural and economic needs. BharatGen is committed to building an AI model serving the people, especially in agriculture, public services and other fields, to promote the all-round development of the society and economy.
In the current international environment, having independent AI technology has become particularly important. Ramakrishnan stressed that relying on external AI models is not feasible for India, especially in key areas such as defense. He said India must build its own AI infrastructure to ensure national security and independence. BharatGen is launched to meet this challenge and help India take the initiative in the global competition for AI technology.
Currently, the BharatGen team is rapidly advancing the project progress, composed of 50 to 60 researchers and numerous student participants. In addition, the team is also in conversation with the government about infrastructure, including the allocation of GPU resources, to support the continuous development of AI research. Through this series of efforts, India is expected to achieve the autonomy of AI technology in the near future and play a greater role in the global technology stage.