India has officially taken a major leap in artificial intelligence. Sarvam AI, a Bengaluru-based startup, has been selected by the Indian government to build the country’s first sovereign Large Language Model (LLM). This project, supported under the IndiaAI Mission, is a massive move toward building an AI system that truly understands India – its languages, culture, and people.
But what does this actually mean? Why is India taking a step towards developing their own LLM? And how will it impact everyday users, businesses, and the future of Indian AI? Let’s break it down in simple terms.
What Is Sarvam AI Doing with the Sovereign LLM?
The Indian government wants to create its own powerful AI model — just like ChatGPT or Google Gemini, but fully trained and operated in India, using Indian data and infrastructure. This AI model is known as a Large Language Model (LLM) — a type of artificial intelligence that can understand and generate human-like language.
On April 26, 2025, Sarvam AI was officially chosen to lead this mission. Out of 67 applicants, Sarvam stood out, and now they will be responsible for creating India’s own foundation model, a task that involves training the AI from scratch.
Why India Needs Its Own AI Model?
There are three big reasons:
- India’s language diversity
India has 22 official languages and hundreds of dialects. People often speak in a mix of languages — like “Hinglish” (Hindi + English). Global AI models don’t always understand these combinations or local context. A model trained in and for India will be able to understand and respond in these languages naturally. - Data sovereignty and privacy
When we use foreign AI tools, our data often travels outside the country. That’s a concern for privacy and security. A sovereign Indian AI model will be hosted and operated within India, ensuring that sensitive user and government data stays in the country. - Self-reliance in AI technology
India wants to reduce dependency on foreign tech. Just like we build our own space missions or UPI for payments, we now want to build our own AI systems. This move supports the vision of an “Atmanirbhar Bharat” (self-reliant India).
What Kind of LLM Is Sarvam AI Building?
Sarvam plans to build three versions of its language model under the IndiaAI initiative:
- Sarvam-Large: For deep, complex tasks using advanced reasoning — similar to ChatGPT-style AI.
- Sarvam-Small: A lighter version for daily chat and interaction.
- Sarvam-Edge: A version that can run directly on devices (like smartphones) without needing constant internet access.
These models will be trained to understand both text and voice, making them usable in apps, websites, phone calls, and smart devices. Importantly, they will be designed from scratch — not built on top of existing foreign models — using Indian datasets.
How Will Indian AI Infrastructure Power the Training?
Building such a model requires massive computing power. Sarvam AI will get access to 4,000 high-end GPUs (special chips needed to train AI models) for six months, thanks to the IndiaAI Mission. Companies like Jio Platforms, Yotta, and Tata Communications are providing the necessary hardware within India.
The Indian government is also helping cover cost and will take an equity stake in Sarvam AI — essentially becoming a partial owner of the project.
Sarvam will also work closely with AI4Bharat, a research team from IIT Madras, to ensure that Indian languages and dialects are properly represented.
Will Sarvam’s Sovereign AI Model Be Open for Everyone?
This has become a topic of debate. While Sarvam AI has previously released open-source AI models (like one called Shuka), the new sovereign LLM will most likely not be open-source. That means the full model won’t be freely available to everyone.
However, developers, startups, and companies will get API access — a way to use the model in their apps or services. This approach helps protect India’s AI knowledge and encourages responsible use.
How Will Sarvam AI’s LLM Impact Everyday Indians?
You might be wondering — how does this affect you?
- Better AI in Indian languages: Think of voice assistants, customer support bots, or apps that truly understand your language, accent, and context — be it in Hindi, Tamil, Telugu, Marathi, or Bengali.
- Stronger privacy and security: Your data will stay within Indian borders, and be handled under Indian laws, offering more trust in how it’s used.
- AI-powered services for all: From government helplines to agriculture support or healthcare advice — Indian AI systems can now reach more people in their own language and with more accuracy.
The Future of Indian AI: What Comes Next
The Sarvam AI’s LLMs could become part of India’s digital public infrastructure, helping systems like Aadhaar or DigiLocker become even smarter with natural language interfaces.
Sarvam has a few months to build and launch this model. It’s a tough task — training a high-quality LLM is expensive, time-consuming, and highly complex. But it’s also a historic opportunity.
If successful, this project won’t just be about tech. It will be about how India builds AI for Indians — using its talent, its languages, and its people, and takes its place in the global AI landscape.