Sarvam AI Selected to Build India’s First Indigenous AI Foundational Model

Sarvam AI, a Bengaluru-based startup founded in 2023 by Dr. Vivek Raghavan and Dr. Pratyush Kumar, has a bold vision: to build AI that speaks to India's soul. If one looks at the backstory behind the name — Sarvam — it means "everything" in Sanskrit. This reflects the company's ambition to create inclusive, wide-reaching AI technologies that embrace India's linguistic and cultural diversity.

Sarvam is backed by leading investors and is working closely with the Indian government. It is developing foundational language models, speech systems, and enterprise solutions — all designed to make AI truly Indian at heart.

In a recent development and an acknowledgment of Sarvam’s initiatives, the Union Minister for Electronics and Information Technology, Ashwini Vaishnaw, over the weekend, while at the launch of the guidelines and portal for the Electronics Component Manufacturing Scheme (ECMS), marking a major step towards strengthening India’s electronics manufacturing ecosystem, announced that Sarvam AI was selected to build India’s first indigenous AI foundational model, marking a major milestone in the country’s AI innovation ecosystem.

Vaishnaw also spoke about India’s advances in AI and data-driven solutions. He informed that 350 datasets have already been uploaded on AI Kosh, and four AI tools developed by IITs will soon be released. He further stated that techno-legal solutions are being developed to strengthen the electronics ecosystem.

Decoding Sarvam: A Moment of Reckoning — Fostering Native LLMs

Acknowledging this moment, Sarvam AI Founders — Vivek Raghavan and Pratyush Kumar — took to LinkedIn and reflected on why it’s a reckoning moment, not just for the company but for India.

The Genesis:

• Founded: 2023
•  Founders: Dr. Vivek Raghavan and Dr. Pratyush Kuma
•  Headquarters: Bengaluru, India
•  Focus: Building generative AI solutions for India's multilingual and cultural diversity

What It Wants to Achieve:•

• To create scalable AI models and platforms for India's unique linguistic needs
• To contribute to the Indian AI ecosystem through open-source initiatives

Scaling with Speed: Journey So Far

• Selected for IndiaAI Mission: Building India’s first sovereign foundational AI model (2025)
• Funding Raised: $53.6 million
• Major Investors: Lightspeed Venture Partners, Peak XV Partners
• Key Partnerships: Microsoft and others for expanding AI access

Core and Evolving Offerings

• Sarvam Agents: Voice-enabled, multilingual AI agents
• Sarvam 2B: Open-source, 2-billion-parameter Indic language model
•  Shuka 1.0: First open-source Indian audio model for speech-to-text
• AI for Legal: AI tool for document drafting and data extraction in the legal sector

Why Sarvam AI Matters

• Champions AI innovation rooted in Indian languages and cultural context
• Supports open-source development to grow India’s AI capabilities
• Helps bridge the language gap in Digital India through cutting-edge AI models

Sarvam AI's selection to build India’s first indigenous AI foundational model is a pivotal moment in India’s AI evolution. Moreover, by focusing on India’s linguistic and cultural diversity, the company is making AI relevant and covering a huge universe. With strong backing from investors and the government, Sarvam AI is poised to contribute significantly to India’s AI ecosystem. This initiative promises to bridge the language divide and empower a digitally inclusive India.