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At the AI Impact Summit, Bengaluru-based startup Sarvam AI unveiled two indigenous large language models (LLMs) under the collective name “Vikram.” The development coincides with global technology firms such as Nvidia and OpenAI announcing partnerships with Indian industry and academic institutions to strengthen India’s artificial intelligence (AI) ecosystem.

This marks a significant step in India’s efforts toward building Sovereign AI capabilities.

Sarvam AI

• Founded in 2023, headquartered in Bengaluru.
• Objective: Develop foundational AI models tailored to Indian languages and socio-economic contexts.
• Focus on multilingual and multimodal AI suited for India’s governance and development needs.

Key Features of the “Vikram” Models

• India-Specific Optimisation
  • Designed for Indian administrative, social and economic applications.
  • Strong performance in Indian language document processing and speech recognition.
• Multimodal Capabilities
  • Integrates text, speech and visual understanding.
  • Enables use cases in governance, healthcare, education and digital services.
• Edge and Offline AI Models
  • Models capable of running on devices without continuous internet connectivity.
  • Supports translation, speech-to-text and other AI functions locally.
  • Reduces dependence on cloud-based foreign infrastructure.

Sovereign AI: Meaning and Significance

Sovereign AI refers to the development of AI systems using domestically controlled infrastructure, data and expertise, covering the entire lifecycle - from data collection and model training to deployment and governance.

It aims to:

• Reduce dependence on US/China-based AI platforms.
• Ensure data security and privacy.
• Promote cultural and linguistic relevance.
• Strengthen national security and strategic autonomy.

Large Language Models (LLMs)

• LLMs are AI systems based on deep learning techniques.
• Trained on large volumes of unstructured data.
• Capable of understanding, summarising, generating and predicting text.
• Use probabilistic modelling to recognise patterns in language without explicit programming.

Potential Benefits for India

• Technological & Economic Gains
  • Boosts domestic innovation ecosystem.
  • Encourages startup growth and high-skill employment.
  • Enhances productivity across sectors.
• Human Capital Development
  • AI integration in education and skilling programmes.
  • Supports India’s demographic dividend with future-ready skills.
• Improved Governance
  • Multilingual AI can enhance e-governance delivery.
  • Applications in healthcare diagnostics, agriculture advisory, climate modelling and urban planning.
• Digital Inclusion
  • Bridges linguistic barriers for non-English speakers.
  • Expands participation in the digital economy.
• Strategic Autonomy: Reduces reliance on foreign AI infrastructure and proprietary systems.