BharatGen: India’s Sovereign AI Leap to Rival Global Giants

Updated: December 14, 2025 00:30

Image Source: Khan Global Studies

India has unveiled BharatGen, its first sovereign AI ecosystem, led by IIT Bombay and supported by other IITs and IIM Indore. Backed by over ₹1,293 crore in funding from the Department of Science & Technology and MeitY, BharatGen will develop multilingual, culturally rooted AI models to rival platforms like ChatGPT.

India is taking a bold step into the future of artificial intelligence with the launch of BharatGen Technology Foundation, a pan-India consortium spearheaded by IIT Bombay. Registered in November 2025, BharatGen is designed to create homegrown large language models (LLMs) that reflect India’s multilingual, multicultural environment.

Unlike typical startups, BharatGen is fully owned and operated by IIT Bombay, with participation from IIT Madras, IIT Kanpur, IIT Hyderabad, IIT Mandi, IIT Kharagpur, IIT Delhi, and IIM Indore. The initiative is part of the IndiaAI Mission, under the Department of Science and Technology (DST) and the Ministry of Electronics & IT (MeitY).

With initial seed support of ₹235 crore from DST and an additional ₹1,058 crore from MeitY, BharatGen has become the largest beneficiary of IndiaAI funding. The project aims to build AI models fluent in 22+ Indian languages, capable of handling text, speech, and document understanding while respecting cultural nuances.

Major Takeaways

Sovereign AI: BharatGen is India’s first sovereign AI ecosystem, built “by Bharat, for Bharat.”

Multilingual Focus: Models will support 22+ Indian languages, accents, and scripts.

Institutional Backing: Led by IIT Bombay with collaboration from multiple IITs and IIM Indore.

Government Support: Backed by DST and MeitY under the IndiaAI Mission.

Funding Scale: Over ₹1,293 crore invested, making it India’s largest AI project.

Global Ambition: Designed to rival global AI platforms like ChatGPT, but rooted in Indian culture.

Notable Updates

Datasets: BharatGen is building India’s largest open dataset ecosystem for AI research.

Speech Models: Focus on speech recognition and synthesis in Indian languages.

Economic Impact: AI projected to add $1.7 trillion to India’s economy by 2035.

Conclusion

BharatGen represents a historic leap for India’s AI ambitions, combining academic excellence, government support, and cultural inclusivity. By creating sovereign, multilingual AI models, India is not only safeguarding its digital future but also positioning itself as a global leader in ethical and inclusive AI innovation.

Sources: Free Press Journal, YourStory, Firstpost, BharatGen Official Website, GKToday

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