India joins race to develop AI models, IT minister Ashwini Vaishnaw confirms

India is accelerating efforts to develop its own artificial intelligence (AI) ecosystem, with the government selecting 18 projects to build foundational AI models, technology minister Ashwini Vaishnaw said on Thursday.

Six major developers have been identified to build these models, which are expected to be ready within eight to 10 months. As part of the IndiaAI Mission, the government has secured 18,693 graphics processing units (GPUs) to power AI research and development, exceeding its initial target of 10,000 GPUs.