Sarvam AI secures Nvidia GPUs, marking a historic breakthrough for India’s AI development mission. Bengaluru-based Sarvam, founded by AI experts Vivek Raghavan and Pratyush Kumar, has been chosen by the Indian government to build India’s first indigenous large language model (LLM). Under the Rs 10,370-crore IndiaAI Mission, Sarvam will access 4,096 high-end Nvidia H100 GPUs for six months. These GPUs will come from top-tier empaneled companies like Jio Platforms, Yotta, Tata Communications, and others.
The Sarvam LLM will have 70 billion parameters and will focus on local languages and voice-first interactions. The entire model will be trained, deployed, and optimized within India. It represents a massive step towards India’s technological sovereignty and global AI leadership.
Sarvam aims to address India’s unique linguistic diversity with models like Sarvam-Large, Sarvam-Small, and Sarvam-Edge. These models will be designed for various needs, from real-time applications to on-device lightweight AI experiences.
Amid global AI competition from players like China’s DeepSeek, India’s move to invest in domestic AI capabilities comes at a critical time. By enabling startups like Sarvam to create national AI infrastructure, India is strengthening its innovation ecosystem and future-proofing its tech sector.
With access to powerful computing resources and a deep focus on Indian languages, Sarvam’s breakthrough also highlights the government’s commitment to building strategic AI capacity locally. Experts believe this project could be a turning point for India’s place in the global tech ecosystem.
1. Introduction: Sarvam AI secures Nvidia GPUs – A Gamechanger for India’s AI Aspirations
Sarvam AI secures Nvidia GPUs as the Indian government selects the Bengaluru-based AI startup to build the country’s first indigenous LLM. This milestone reflects India’s strong push under the Rs 10,370-crore IndiaAI Mission to drive technological innovation through local startups.
2. Startup Overview: How Sarvam AI is Shaping the Future
2.1 Working Model
Sarvam AI operates with a vision to create India-specific AI models. Its focus is on building multi-modal, multi-scale foundational models trained entirely within India. These models will prioritize voice-first interfaces and fluency across Indian languages, ensuring that users interact with AI systems that feel familiar and intuitive.
2.2 Revenue Model
Sarvam plans to monetize its AI models through a combination of enterprise licensing, API-based access for developers, government projects, and localized AI applications. By addressing India’s unique AI needs, Sarvam is expected to unlock a massive commercial opportunity across sectors like healthcare, education, e-governance, and fintech.
2.3 Funding Background
Sarvam AI is an early-stage startup. It has recently started attracting attention after being chosen under the IndiaAI Mission. Further funding rounds are expected soon as the company gains momentum with government backing and national-level visibility.
2.4 Founders and Their Background
Sarvam AI was founded by Vivek Raghavan and Pratyush Kumar. Both are former core members of AI4Bharat, a prominent Indian AI research initiative. They bring deep expertise in large-scale machine learning, deep learning architectures, and open-source AI technologies.
2.5 Services and Products
Sarvam’s major products under development include:
- Sarvam-Large: A large language model for advanced reasoning, generation, and knowledge-intensive tasks.
- Sarvam-Small: A real-time interaction model for chatbots and conversational agents.
- Sarvam-Edge: Lightweight models for mobile and embedded devices, ensuring on-device intelligence without cloud dependency.
3. Background Story: Building India’s AI Sovereignty
3.1 IndiaAI Mission: Empowering Indian Startups
Launched with an ambitious vision, the IndiaAI Mission aims to accelerate India’s AI capabilities by investing Rs 10,370 crore into AI startups and researchers. Initially aiming to procure 10,000 GPUs, the target has expanded to 18,693 GPUs to ensure robust AI development within India.
3.2 Sarvam’s Breakthrough
Sarvam AI secures Nvidia GPUs after standing out among 67 applicants. The startup’s commitment to training models entirely on Indian infrastructure was a decisive factor. This win marks a new era where Indian startups take the lead in critical AI advancements.
4. Breaking Down the GPU Support: An Unprecedented Move
4.1 Government Partnership
The government will provide Sarvam access to 4,096 Nvidia H100 GPUs. These GPUs are sourced from India’s top AI data center companies, including:
- Jio Platforms
- Yotta
- Tata Communications
- E2E Networks
- NxtGen Datacenter
- CMS Computers
- CtrlS Datacenters
- Locuz Enterprise Solutions
- Orient Technologies
- Vensysco Technologies
4.2 Impact of High-End GPUs
Training a 70-billion-parameter model needs massive computing power. Access to these GPUs allows Sarvam to train, deploy, and optimize its models at scale and speed, making it competitive with global leaders like OpenAI and DeepMind.
5. Why Sarvam’s Project Matters in the Global AI Race
5.1 India’s Answer to Global Giants
China’s DeepSeek has already made headlines with a powerful open-source AI model. By supporting Sarvam, India positions itself as a serious global AI player, ensuring its digital economy is future-ready.
5.2 Focus on Indian Languages
Unlike global models focused on English and Chinese, Sarvam’s LLM will understand and generate text across India’s vast linguistic landscape, including Hindi, Tamil, Marathi, Bengali, Telugu, and many more.
6. Strategic Innovations: Inside Sarvam’s LLM Vision
6.1 Unique Engineering Advancements
IT Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw revealed that Sarvam’s model will have several programming and engineering innovations. Despite its massive 70 billion parameters, it will compete head-to-head with the best global models by being smarter, faster, and more resource-efficient.
6.2 Security and Sovereignty
Sarvam’s AI models will be trained and deployed entirely within India. No data will need to leave Indian borders, making it ideal for secure enterprise and government use cases.
7. Learning for Startups and Entrepreneurs
- Innovate for local needs: Sarvam’s focus on India-specific models proves the massive untapped market in localizing global technologies.
- Leverage government programs: Winning under the IndiaAI Mission has catapulted Sarvam into the national spotlight. Startups must explore such initiatives actively.
- Build core capabilities in-house: Training AI models entirely within India gives Sarvam strategic control and future flexibility.
- Timing is everything: Sarvam seized the AI momentum at a time when global interest in foundational models is skyrocketing.
- Invest in deep tech talent: Founders with deep technical backgrounds are crucial for winning trust and securing strategic projects.
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