India plans to launch generative AI model by 2025

India is preparing to enter the global artificial intelligence arena with the announcement of a generative AI model set for release in 2025.

Union IT Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw made this declaration during the Utkarsh Odisha Conclave, highlighting the country's commitment to developing AI technologies tailored to its diverse languages and cultures.

The initiative is supported by the India AI Compute Facility, which has successfully secured 18,693 graphics processing units (GPUs), including 12,896 Nvidia H100s.

“We believe that there are at least six major developers who can develop AI models in the next six to eight months on the outer limit, and four to six months on a more optimistic estimate,” Vaishnaw stated.

This announcement follows the recent unveiling of DeepSeek R1, an open-source AI model that has garnered attention for its competitive performance at a reduced training cost.

Vaishnaw expressed confidence in India’s ability to innovate in this space despite potential challenges posed by US export controls on high-performance computing chips.

The Indian government aims to create a robust AI ecosystem that includes shared computing resources accessible to researchers and startups.

In addition to the generative model, India plans to focus on foundational models that address linguistic diversity and mitigate biases within datasets.

The government has also initiated funding for 18 AI-driven projects targeting significant societal issues such as agriculture and climate change.

To ensure responsible AI development, an AI Safety Institute will be established, adopting a collaborative approach with multiple institutions involved.

“We are seen as a country which respects IP rights,” Vaishnaw noted, emphasising India's strategic partnerships with major global economies.