Major tech companies like Google, Microsoft, and Nvidia are expected to lead India’s efforts in creating a centralized computing infrastructure as part of the India AI Mission. The approved mission involves a ₹10,372 crore ($1.3 billion) investment to support an AI-compute-as-a-service program, develop large language models (LLMs) through AI Innovation Centres, and establish a Unified Data Platform for Indian language datasets. The infrastructure will be built through public-private partnerships, with private firms submitting proposals for approval and funding.
Rajeev Chandrasekhar, Union Minister of State for IT, explained that the AI infrastructure program, once built, will merge with the second phase of the National Supercomputing Mission. The funds will be allocated based on received and evaluated proposals. Although the final breakdown of the fund’s allocation is pending, experts note that India’s AI fund is substantial compared to global precedents.
The United States introduced the National AI Research Resource (NAIRR) policy in January, offering $2.6 billion over six years for a similar initiative. India’s $1.3 billion AI fund is seen as a significant start for the nation’s tech ambitions. The public-private partnership model is expected to involve major tech companies, democratizing access to AI compute infrastructure and providing access to India’s datasets.
Industry experts believe that for big tech firms, the key benefit lies in accessing India’s datasets and gaining a wide user and client base for their infrastructure. The project is likely to attract interest from multiple leading tech firms, contributing to India’s AI ecosystem.
Queries sent to Google, Microsoft, and Nvidia for comments on their involvement in the project did not receive responses by press time. The collaboration is expected to strengthen India’s position in the AI landscape, formalizing the government’s commitment to prioritize AI development.
