Latest news with #Shrinath
Hindustan Times
7 days ago
- Business
- Hindustan Times
How language LLMs will lead the India's AI leap
The next great power struggle in technology won't be about speed or scale, it'll be about whose language AI speaks. Because trust in technology begins with something deeply human: being understood. You trust a doctor who speaks your language. You trust a banker who understands your context. So why would you trust an algorithm that doesn't know who you are, where you're from, or what your words mean? This question is being asked by governments, developers, and communities across the Global South who have seen how powerful large language models (LLMs) can be—and how irrelevant they often are to people who don't speak English or live in Silicon Valley. In India, the response until now has been BharatGPT. This is a collaboration between startups like government-backed platforms like Bhashini, and academic institutions such as the IITs. Its aim is not to chase ChatGPT on global benchmarks. Instead, it hopes to solve problems at home—helping citizens navigate government forms in Hindi, automating railway queries in Tamil, or enabling voice assistants in other regional languages. CoRover has already deployed multilingual chatbots in sectors like railways, insurance, and banking. The value here isn't just in automation. It's in comprehension. This isn't unique to India. In South Africa, Lelapa AI is working on InkubaLM, a small language model trained in African languages. In Latin America, a consortium is building LatAm GPT, rooted in Spanish, Portuguese, and indigenous dialects. Each of these projects is a rebellion: against invisibility, against standardization, against a worldview where the technology speaks only in one accent. What's driving this shift? 'Current large language models do not adequately represent the linguistic, cultural, or civic realities of many regions,' says Shrinath V, a Bengaluru-based product coach and Google for Startups mentor. 'As governments begin exploring AI-powered delivery of public services, from education and legal aid to citizen support, they recognize the need for models that reflect local languages, data, and social context. Regional LLMs are being positioned to fill that gap,' he explains. Manoj Menon, founder of the Singapore-based research firm Twimbit, is on the same page as Shrinath: 'With AI there are several nuances that come into play—how we train them to be contextually relevant for our local, national needs.' At the heart of it lies something more political: digital sovereignty. Shrinath breaks it down and says, 'Data sovereignty is no longer an abstract idea. Countries don't want to depend on models trained on data they don't control. Indigenous models are a way to retain that control.' It boils down to geopolitical leverage. Nations that build their own models won't just protect cultural identity—they'll shape trade, diplomacy, and security doctrines in the AI era. 'This is a reasonable argument,' says Menon. 'How we interpret a particular subject or issue depends completely on the context. Hence geo-politics is a significant input. Also the ability to train based on local issues and context.' Viewed through this lens, the shift underway towards frugal AI is more radical than most people realise. These are models that don't need massive GPUs or high-speed internet. They're lean, nimble, and context-rich. Think of it like this: if ChatGPT is a Tesla on a six-lane highway, BharatGPT is a motorbike designed for rough, narrow roads. Not as flashy. But it gets where it needs to go. 'Most countries will want a say in shaping how AI is adopted, governed, and deployed within a sovereign context,' points out Shrinath. This matters because AI is starting to mediate access to public services—healthcare, legal advice, welfare. And in that context, a model that doesn't understand a citizen's language isn't just ineffective. It's dangerous. It can mislead, it can exclude and it can fail silently. So yes, Silicon Valley still leads the headlines. But away from the noise, something deeper is unfolding. A shift in who gets to define intelligence, in whose language it speaks and in whose image it is built. Regional AI, says Menon, 'won't go head-on with what is built in Silicon Valley. They will complement it and their opportunity will help AI be more relevant locally.' These regional AI efforts don't seek applause, they seek agency. They aren't chasing scale, they're chasing significance instead. This revolution is not being televised, it's being trained.
Hindustan Times
13-06-2025
- Business
- Hindustan Times
How language LLMs will lead India's AI leap
The next great power struggle in technology won't be about speed or scale, it'll be about whose language AI speaks. Because trust in technology begins with something deeply human: being understood. You trust a doctor who speaks your language. You trust a banker who understands your context. So why would you trust an algorithm that doesn't know who you are, where you're from, or what your words mean? This question is being asked by governments, developers, and communities across the Global South who have seen how powerful large language models (LLMs) can be—and how irrelevant they often are to people who don't speak English or live in Silicon Valley. In India, the response until now has been BharatGPT. This is a collaboration between startups like government-backed platforms like Bhashini, and academic institutions such as the IITs. Its aim is not to chase ChatGPT on global benchmarks. Instead, it hopes to solve problems at home—helping citizens navigate government forms in Hindi, automating railway queries in Tamil, or enabling voice assistants in other regional languages. CoRover has already deployed multilingual chatbots in sectors like railways, insurance, and banking. The value here isn't just in automation. It's in comprehension. This isn't unique to India. In South Africa, Lelapa AI is working on InkubaLM, a small language model trained in African languages. In Latin America, a consortium is building LatAm GPT, rooted in Spanish, Portuguese, and indigenous dialects. Each of these projects is a rebellion: against invisibility, against standardization, against a worldview where the technology speaks only in one accent. What's driving this shift? 'Current large language models do not adequately represent the linguistic, cultural, or civic realities of many regions,' says Shrinath V, a Bengaluru-based product coach and Google for Startups mentor. 'As governments begin exploring AI-powered delivery of public services, from education and legal aid to citizen support, they recognize the need for models that reflect local languages, data, and social context. Regional LLMs are being positioned to fill that gap,' he explains. Manoj Menon, founder of the Singapore-based research firm Twimbit, is on the same page as Shrinath: 'With AI there are several nuances that come into play — how we train them to be contextually relevant for our local, national needs.' At the heart of it lies something more political: digital sovereignty. Shrinath breaks it down and says, 'Data sovereignty is no longer an abstract idea. Countries don't want to depend on models trained on data they don't control. Indigenous models are a way to retain that control.' It boils down to geopolitical leverage. Nations that build their own models won't just protect cultural identity—they'll shape trade, diplomacy, and security doctrines in the AI era. 'This is a reasonable argument,' says Menon. 'How we interpret a particular subject or issue depends completely on the context. Hence geo-politics is a significant input. Also the ability to train based on local issues and context.' Viewed through this lens, the shift underway towards frugal AI is more radical than most people realise. These are models that don't need massive GPUs or high-speed internet. They're lean, nimble, and context-rich. Think of it like this: if ChatGPT is a Tesla on a six-lane highway, BharatGPT is a motorbike designed for rough, narrow roads. Not as flashy. But it gets where it needs to go. 'Most countries will want a say in shaping how AI is adopted, governed, and deployed within a sovereign context,' points out Shrinath. This matters because AI is starting to mediate access to public services—healthcare, legal advice, welfare. And in that context, a model that doesn't understand a citizen's language isn't just ineffective. It's dangerous. It can mislead, it can exclude and it can fail silently. So yes, Silicon Valley still leads the headlines. But away from the noise, something deeper is unfolding. A shift in who gets to define intelligence, in whose language it speaks and in whose image it is built. Regional AI, says Menon, 'won't go head-on with what is built in Silicon Valley. They will complement it and their opportunity will help AI be more relevant locally.' These regional AI efforts don't seek applause, they seek agency. They aren't chasing scale, they're chasing significance instead. This revolution is not being televised, it's being trained. Get 360° coverage—from daily headlines to 100 year archives.
Time of India
24-05-2025
- Business
- Time of India
C'magaluru coffee estates featured on postal pictorial cancellation
Chikkamagaluru: Chikkamagaluru, known as the Land of Coffee, achieves a notable distinction as its coffee estates are featured on a Postal Permanent Pictorial Cancellation. The Chikkamagaluru Head Post Office and the Indian Postal Department introduced this special date seal with a picture depicting the region's coffee estates. NB Shrinath, superintendent of post offices, Chikkamagaluru division, officially unveiled the Permanent Pictorial Cancellation. This distinctive postmark, available at specific post offices, displays a permanent design representing a significant local feature. Upon request, it can be applied to various postal items, including letters and cards posted at the designated office. These special cancellations honour regional identity whilst appealing to philatelists. The philately division of the department of posts approves each design, according to Shrinath. The Chikkamagaluru coffee estates' cancellation highlights the area's historical connection to coffee cultivation, showcasing its agricultural legacy in national and international philatelic circles. The head post office in Chikkamagaluru will offer this Permanent Pictorial Cancellation. Both regular customers and stamp collectors can request this special mark on their postal items or dispatch letters bearing this distinctive cancellation. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like 2025 Top Trending local enterprise accounting software [Click Here] Esseps Learn More Undo Coffee Board deputy director Venkata Reddy, who was the chief guest of the event, acknowledged this development as significant for the coffee-growing region. Head post office postmaster Sunil Vaas chaired the event, whilst assistant postmaster AS Muralidhar expressed satisfaction regarding the cancellation's release. The ceremony was attended by DN Gangadharappa, inspector of posts, Chikkamagaluru subdivision, as the guest of honour. Other attendees included Shanmukh H Chavvan, inspector of posts, Mudigere; Hariprasad Rao, inspector of posts, Koppa; Ganesh Nayak, postal life insurance development officer; Doddesh, marketing executive; staff and customers.
