Union Minister of State (Independent Charge) for Science and Technology; Earth Sciences and Minister of State for PMO, Department of Atomic Energy, Department of Space, Personnel, Public Grievances and Pensions, Dr. Jitendra Singh told the Rajya Sabha that text-based artificial intelligence models under the Bharat GenAI initiative will be completed in all 22 Constitutionally recognised Indian languages within this month, while speech and vision capabilities have already been developed for 15 languages. The Minister said the initiative represents India’s first government-owned sovereign large language model designed specifically for Indian languages and societal context.

Replying to a starred question during Question Hour, Dr. Jitendra Singh said Bharat GenAI is an outcome of the IndiaAI Mission launched in March 2024 and has been conceived as a national foundational model. He explained that the distinguishing feature of the initiative is its sovereign character combined with its focus on India’s linguistic and cultural diversity, unlike similar models elsewhere that cater largely to linguistically homogeneous societies.

Dr. Jitendra Singh informed the House that Bharat GenAI has three principal components—text, speech and vision—along with dedicated domain applications such as agriculture, Ayurveda and the legal system. While text models across all 22 scheduled languages are expected to be completed this month, he said speech and vision models are currently available in 15 languages and will be expanded further. He added that the programme is structured as a dynamic process, with scope to go beyond the scheduled languages to include dialects and regional variations as more data becomes available.

On the institutional architecture supporting the initiative, the Minister said the Bharat GenAI consortium is being spearheaded by IIT Bombay, with participation from several other institutions including IIT Hyderabad, IIT Madras, IIT Kanpur, IIT Mandi and IIT Indore. He said this consortium-based approach reflects an integrated “whole-of-science” and “whole-of-nation” framework rather than a region-specific effort.

Dr. Jitendra Singh further said 25 technology innovation hubs have been established as part of the broader ecosystem supporting emerging technologies such as artificial intelligence, robotics, machine learning and cybersecurity. He noted that four of these hubs—at IIT Indore, IIT Kanpur, IIT Dhanbad and the Indian Institute of Science, Bengaluru—have been upgraded to facilitate closer co-location of industry and research, easing the pathway for technology transfer.

Responding to questions on inclusion of institutions from the North-East, the Minister said the process of expanding the innovation ecosystem is ongoing and not closed. He emphasised that languages from the North-Eastern region are already included among the 22 scheduled languages being covered under Bharat GenAI, and that institutional participation will also widen as the ecosystem evolves.

Addressing concerns related to the availability of computational resources, particularly graphics processing units (GPUs), Dr. Jitendra Singh acknowledged that compute capacity is central to advanced AI development. He said the IndiaAI Mission has a dedicated compute pillar to provide access to shared computational resources at subsidised rates for eligible users. He added that the mission has been designed to evolve, with access also being enabled through alternative sources as requirements grow.

The Minister said private sector participation is being actively encouraged, and referred to the recent launch of a ₹1 lakh crore Research, Development and Innovation funding initiative aimed at supporting projects closer to deployment. He said this funding framework would also cover AI-related infrastructure and compute requirements.

On access and pricing of Bharat GenAI models, Dr. Jitendra Singh said the framework is currently under discussion. He clarified that while the platform is sovereign in nature, it is not intended to be closed, and mechanisms are being worked out to determine data sharing, safeguards and pricing, including possible discounts, for different categories of users.

Concluding his reply, Dr. Jitendra Singh said Bharat GenAI is intended as a continuously evolving national capability rather than a one-time exercise. He said the emphasis would remain on inclusiveness, linguistic authenticity and gradual expansion, ensuring that the initiative keeps pace with technological change while remaining rooted in India’s social and linguistic realities.

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