Krutrim AI, an artificial intelligence startup co-founded by Bhavish Aggarwal, has introduced DeepSeek R1 671B in India at a groundbreaking price.The company is making this powerful open-source AI model accessible for only ₹1 per million tokens throughout February, ensuring affordability. This bold initiative not only aims to drive widespread AI adoption but also seeks to fuel continuous innovation across the country
Safety and Deployment of DeepSeek R1
Aggarwal emphasized the importance of cautious use regarding the DeepSeek app itself. However, he assured that the open-source version of DeepSeek R1 is safe for deployment on Indian servers. Krutrim has hosted this model on Nvidia’s H100 graphics processing units, making it available through Krutrim AI Cloud. With this strategic move, Krutrim not only becomes the first company globally to deploy DeepSeek-R1 671B on H100 GPUs but also strengthens its AI leadership. This initiative is expected to accelerate AI adoption among Indian businesses and developers, fostering a robust AI ecosystem.
Competitive Pricing and AI Accessibility
Offering DeepSeek R1 at an unprecedented ₹1 per million tokens in February makes Krutrim’s deployment significantly more affordable than other large language models. Developers currently pay around ₹16.60 per million tokens for Llama-3-8B-Instruct, ₹66.40 per million tokens for Google’s Gemma-27B, and nearly ₹16.60 per million tokens for Hugging Face’s M4/idefics2-8B. Aggarwal described this pricing strategy not only as an effort to encourage experimentation but also to bring more Indian users into the AI ecosystem
Plans for India’s Largest Supercomputer
Krutrim plans to deploy Nvidia’s GB200 GPUs by March 2025 to create India’s largest supercomputer by the end of the year. This computing infrastructure will support training and managing AI models on an unparalleled scale within the country. Aggarwal previously announced that Krutrim would open-source much of its work in 2024, aiming to build an AI community in India that can compete with global leaders. This vision aligns with Krutrim’s goal of ensuring that future AI developments cater to Indian users’ languages and cultural context.
Krutrim AI Lab and Investment Plans
In addition to deploying DeepSeek R1, Krutrim has introduced Krutrim AI Lab, a ₹2,000-crore initiative focused on AI research and open-source model development. The company plans to increase this investment to ₹10,000 crore by next year. Aggarwal believes this funding commitment will serve as a catalyst for uniting India’s AI community. By tackling challenges related to data scarcity and cultural context in Indian languages, the lab aims to enhance AI accessibility for Indian businesses and developers. Consequently, this initiative is expected to drive AI innovation and create new opportunities across the industry.
Krutrim’s Growth and Industry Impact
Founded in April 2023, Krutrim quickly gained prominence, achieving unicorn status by January last year. Aggarwal co-founded this venture with Krishnamurthy Venugopala Tenneti, a board member of ANI Technologies, which owns Ola and Ola Electric. Krutrim’s open-source approach, ambitious supercomputer plans, and affordable DeepSeek R1 access represent a comprehensive strategy to revolutionize India’s AI landscape. By hosting powerful models locally, Krutrim strengthens India’s AI ecosystem while making advanced technology accessible to Indian developers and businesses.
Learning for Startups and Entrepreneurs
Krutrim’s strategy presents valuable insights for startups and entrepreneurs. Offering AI tools at a lower cost encourages innovation and broader adoption within the industry. Open-sourcing AI models accelerates development and fosters a collaborative community. Investing in robust infrastructure, such as India’s largest supercomputer, can establish a competitive edge in the technology space. Tailoring AI solutions to local languages and cultural contexts enhances user engagement and relevance. Collaborating with leading technology providers like Nvidia strengthens a company’s credibility and technological capabilities. Implementing these strategies positions startups for long-term success in the AI-driven business environment.
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