IndiaAI Mission gets 16,000 new GPUs, three more foundational models
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.
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.
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.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Time of India
an hour ago
- Time of India
2 new Aavin dairies to double supply
Chennai: With Gujarat-based Amul slowly firming up its dairy footprint in Tamil Nadu, the state govt-run Aavin has begun ramping up its infrastructure in Chennai after several years. Tired of too many ads? go ad free now Two new dairies — one in Madhavaram with a capacity of 10lakh litres a day and another in Acharapakkam of 1 lakh litre capacity — are set to begin operations by March 2026, effectively doubling Aavin's current milk supply potential in Chennai to 22 lakh litres a day, said A Annadurai in response to a grievance letter from the Tamil Nadu Milk Dealers and Workers Welfare Union. The move comes days after Amul managing director Amit Vyas told reporters here that the brand, already selling curd in Chennai, will "slowly and steadily enter into the milk segment" through its plant in Chittoor. Though Chennai, with a population of more than one crore, is a high-potential dairy market, Aavin's current daily sales in the city hover around just 11 lakh litres. Private dairies, despite commanding higher prices, have a stronger presence. Many brands have increased prices by 2 to 3 thrice in the past year, without prior notice or justification. "Aavin's Green Magic, a standardized variant, is in high demand. But it's restricted to monthly cardholders. At retail outlets, agents push the full cream 'premium' or toned 'nice' packs, which don't suit our morning coffee," said T Sadagopan, a resident-activist from Pattabiram. "Aavin should promote what consumers actually prefer, not what offers them higher margins." Beyond sales, Aavin's response letter also addressed environmental concerns raised by the union. The Ambattur dairy, one of its key units, was flagged for polluting the Korattur lake. Tired of too many ads? go ad free now Aavin said that its sewage treatment plant, earlier operating at 3.3 lakh litre a day capacity, is being upgraded to 7 lakh litres a day, with the new facility expected to go live by the end of 2025. Indian Institute of Technology Madras has certified the treatment unit's current output at 700 KLD, and formal approvals from the pollution control board for capacity expansion are under process. On the procurement front, Aavin released 342.14 crore in procurement incentives since Dec 2023, directly credited to dairy farmers through cooperative unions. Dealers too have been seeking a revision in commission rates, which currently stand at 1.5 a litre for retail sellers and 2 for wholesale. Aavin has said the revision will be considered when milk prices are restructured.
Time of India
2 hours ago
- Time of India
Less than 100 days to go, Kumartuli readies Durga idols for foreign shores
1 2 Kolkata: The festive fervour of Durga Puja may still be a little over three months away, but the idol makers' enclave in Kumartuli is already abuzz with activity. The artisans are racing against time, giving finishing touches to several idols — not for local pujas, but to meet the international demand. Several batches of idols have already been shipped to United States (US), the United Kingdom (UK), Canada, and Australia, among other countries where the Bengali diaspora organises Durga Puja celebrations. According to the Kumartuli Mritshilpi Sanskritik Samity, more than 200 idols have already been sent abroad this season, and dozens more are at various stages of completion. The first idol was dispatched as early as Jan this year, to Sydney. "This year, I have already dispatched five large idols to various cities in the US and the UK," said Bikash Pal, an idol maker. "It takes time to pack the idols securely and get the necessary customs clearances. The shipping itself can take weeks, so we begin much earlier," he added. Some idols are sent by air, too. Mintu Pal, another artisan, has dispatched several idols to Canada, Germany, France, Poland, and Italy. "The price starts from Rs 1 lakh . by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Florida New Policy For Senior Drivers The Quote General Learn More Undo This is excluding the expenses for packaging and travel," said Pal, who was busy giving finishing touches to an idol. Potters admit that the number of orders has increased over the past decade. "Earlier, we would only get a handful of overseas orders. Now, the international orders come months in advance," said Koushik Ghosh, who dispatched an idol to Sydney in Jan. The increasing number of orders has not only changed the production timeline but also the economic dynamics of Kumartuli. Artisans say that overseas clients are often willing to pay more as the idols have to be customised. The increased income has led to more stable employment for workers and assistants, who previously relied only on seasonal work. However, the international orders also come with specific challenges. "We have to follow strict guidelines for height, weight, and materials due to shipping constraints," explained Bikash Pal, adding that some idols need to be assembled on-site. Preparations for local pandals have also begun. Full-scale activity for Kolkata-based pujas is expected to pick up by first week of July.
Time of India
3 hours ago
- Time of India
Soon, GIS mapping of Sal river and Ponda nullah; digital portal for environmental monitoring in state
Panaji: The Goa State Pollution Control Board (GSPCB), at its recent meeting, approved GIS mapping of River Sal and the Ponda nullah to identify the source of pollution in these water bodies. The board noted that it received a number of complaints about pollution in the Sal and the nullah. Besides this, the board said that a writ petition was also filed in the high court, where it was also told to find the source of pollution in these water bodies. The board has accordingly decided to invite e-tenders to carry out the work. Meanwhile, the board approved the issuance of a work order to a selected service provider through e-tendering, chosen to set up a digital portal and dashboard for an online continuous environmental data monitoring system. This dashboard will collect real-time pollution monitoring data from all industrial units in Goa. The server will be operational within six months, the GSPCB told the service provider, who will be paid Rs 85 lakh for the work. 'This portal will enable highly scalable systems that can connect more than 2,000 or all available industries/units of Goa, engaged in online monitoring with all the sites simultaneously in real-time with a non-proprietary, highly scalable back-end database suitable for storing time series data,' the board said in the minutes of its meeting. The Union ministry of electronics and information technology, under the National Air Quality Monitoring Programme and the National Water Quality Monitoring Programme, requires states to carry out continuous noise monitoring, ambient air quality monitoring, effluent monitoring, and emission monitoring. All this data is to be deployed on the empanelled cloud server of the ministry and managed by a bidder under the ownership of the GSPCB. Accordingly, a work order will be issued to create a digital portal and dashboard for a continuous online monitoring system for Goa.
