BharatGen is a significant new project in generative AI, a type of artificial intelligence that can create text, images, or even sounds. It aims to improve public services using AI and increase citizen participation in India. The project was inaugurated by Union Minister of State Dr Jitendra Singh in New Delhi and is part of India’s efforts to develop advanced technologies, intending to make India a global leader in AI.
Major Objectives of BharatGen
- Multilingual and multimodal nature of foundation models.
- Indian data set-based building and training.
- It is an open source platform i.e. it will be available for public use. Development of generative AI research ecosystem in the country.
- BharatGen will reduce dependence on foreign technology and strengthen the domestic AI ecosystem for startups, industries, and government organisations.
- Innovators, researchers, and startups can find AI applications faster and allow cost-effective manufacturing.
- BharatGen will also showcase a vibrant AI research community through training programs, hackathons and collaborations with global experts.
Who is managing Bharatgen?
IIT Bombay is leading the project under the National Mission on Interdisciplinary Cyber-Physical Systems (NM-ICPS). The IoT project is managed by the TIH Foundation for the IOE, which will collaborate with several top universities and research institutes such as IIT Hyderabad, IIT Kanpur, and IIM Indore to develop the project.
Project Timeline
BharatGen is expected to be completed in two years, with key milestones including the development of the AI model by July 2026. The project aims to benefit government, private, academic, and research institutions.
Four Key Features of BharatGen
The four key features of BharatGen are the multilingual and multimodal nature of infrastructure models; Indian data set based building, and training; Open-source platform and generative AI research ecosystem development in the country.
Benefits for India
BharatGen will deliver generative AI models and their applications in the public interest, prioritizing India’s socio-cultural and linguistic diversity. It seeks to address India’s broader needs such as social equality, cultural preservation and linguistic diversity ensuring that it reaches out to the constituents.
BharatGen is specifically designed to support India’s goal of self-reliance by developing AI models customized for India. It will be able to comprehend and interact in multiple Indian languages, both spoken and written. What sets it apart from other AI systems is that it will exclusively use data from India.
By developing AI technology in India, BharatGen reduces dependence on foreign technology and strengthens the domestic AI ecosystem for startups, industries and government agencies. By democratizing access to AI through foundational models and technical recipes, innovators enable quick and affordable development of AI applications by researchers and startups.
A key feature of BharatGen is its focus on data-enabled learning, especially with a limited digital presence for Indian languages through collaboration with basic research and academic institutions. The initiative will develop effective models with minimal data—a critical need for languages underserved by global AI initiatives.
BharatGen will foster a vibrant AI research community through training programs, hackathons, and collaborations with global experts.
