India has taken a major step toward establishing its own sovereign artificial intelligence ecosystem with the launch of the BharatGen Technology Foundation at IIT Bombay. The initiative aims to build a Large Language Model (LLM) tailored specifically to India’s multilingual, multicultural, and diverse communication landscape—including regional accents, writing scripts, and dialects across the country.
Establishment at IIT Bombay
The BharatGen AI foundation was formally registered on 7 November 2025 at the Powai campus. This marks a significant expansion of IIT Bombay’s role beyond research and academia, positioning it as a key contributor to national-scale technological development.
The envisioned BharatGen model is expected to understand and generate content in more than 22 Indian languages, covering both text and speech formats—making it one of the most inclusive AI language initiatives globally.
Government Support and Funding
The project has received strong central backing under the IndiaAI Mission. Funding includes:
- ₹235 crore from the Department of Science and Technology (DST)
- ₹1,058 crore from the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY)
This financial support aims to accelerate the program from research stage to deployment-ready national infrastructure.
Collaboration and Deployment Strategy
BharatGen is being developed in collaboration with leading IITs and IIITs across India. Its roadmap includes releasing lightweight, distilled AI versions so that:
- Startups
- Researchers
- Enterprises
can build AI-powered applications without requiring expensive computing infrastructure.
Key Points
- BharatGen Technology Foundation registered: 7 November 2025
- Location: IIT Bombay, Powai campus
- Funding: ₹235 crore (DST) + ₹1,058 crore (MeitY)
- Target languages: 22+ Indian languages
India’s Vision for Sovereign AI
With BharatGen, India aims to develop an indigenous AI backbone that preserves linguistic identity while ensuring digital independence. The initiative positions India to create scalable AI tools aligned with cultural context—empowering innovation across government, education, health, industry, and digital services.