The Discovery That Sparked BharatGen
A group of researchers in a small IIT Bombay lab discovered that global AI models like ChatGPT struggle to accurately understand Hindi. This ground-breaking analysis became the foundation for one of the most ambitious Indian AI projects: BharatGen.
Building a Multilingual AI Ecosystem
For 18 months, top researchers from India’s leading institutions, including IIT Bombay and others, trained BharatGen on a native large language model. Unlike most international models that focus on English, BharatGen was designed to support not just Hindi and English, but also major Indian languages like Tamil, Telugu, Malayalam, Bengali, and even ancient Sanskrit texts. This approach ensures BharatGen has deep linguistic and cultural understanding, which is missing from Western-centric models.
Advanced AI Infrastructure and Government Support
Recognizing the importance of homegrown AI, the Indian government allocated ₹10,300 crore for AI development and installed 18,693 high-powered GPUs specifically for AI model training. This infrastructure, which is now among the world’s largest, has enables BharatGen and other Indian AI companies (like Sarvam AI, Krutim, AI4Bharat, and Gyan AI) to train and scale their models efficiently. The government is also planning future investments in semiconductor manufacturing for more self-reliance in AI hardware.
Timeline and Global Impact
The core framework for BharatGen was completed in January 2025. It made its first public presentation in June 2025, but the general public release is scheduled for July 2026. BharatGen is a government-funded, multimodal large language model, integrating not only text but speech and vision capabilities for 22 scheduled Indian languages. It aims to revolutionize domains like healthcare, education, and governance through region-specific, culturally aware AI solutions.
India’s Slow but Steady Approach
While India’s AI developments proceed more slowly than international giants like OpenAI, DeepSeek, and Perplexity, the country is prioritizing indigenous solutions to local challenges. Unlike global models driven primarily by English-language and Western data, BharatGen and other Indian LLMs focus on regional accuracy, inclusivity, and solving India-specific problems.
The Competitive Future
India’s sovereign AI models are still in their early stages compared to the advanced models available globally, but they are rapidly catching up. Continuous improvements, government support, and growing expertise mean India is building a robust AI ecosystem tailored to its unique needs. With steady pace and a focus on local languages and culture, Indian AI is poised to become a strong competitor in the international tech landscape.
BharatGen marks a turning point for Indian AI, offering hope that as its capabilities grow, it will help solve Indigenous problems and make India a leader in multilingual, culturally attuned AI innovation for the world.
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