• On 5 February 2026, Union Minister Jitendra Singh informed the Rajya Sabha that under the Bharat GenAI initiative, text-based AI models will be completed in all 22 Constitutionally recognised Indian languages within this month.
  • He also said that speech and vision capabilities have already been developed in 15 Indian languages.
  • This is an important step in India’s digital and technological development.

WHAT IS BHARAT GEN AI?

  • Bharat GenAI is India’s first government-owned sovereign Large Language Model (LLM).
  • It is designed especially for:
    • Indian languages
    • Indian culture
    • Indian social needs
  • This initiative is part of the IndiaAI Mission, which was launched in March 2024.
  • Unlike many global AI models that mainly focus on English or a few major languages, Bharat GenAI focuses on India’s linguistic diversity.
MAIN FEATURES OF BHARAT GEN AI The model has three main components:
  1. Text
  2. Speech
  3. Vision
Current Status
  • Text models: To be completed in all 22 scheduled languages this month.
  • Speech and Vision models: Already available in 15 languages and will expand further.
The programme may later include regional dialects and local language variations as more data becomes available. WHAT DOES SOVEREIGN AI MODEL MEAN? A sovereign AI model means:
  • It is developed and controlled by the Government of India.
  • Data and technology remain within national control.
  • It is designed according to India’s needs and values.
This ensures data security and digital independence. INSTITUTIONS INVOLVED The Bharat GenAI consortium is led by:
  • IIT Bombay
Other participating institutes include:
  • IIT Hyderabad
  • IIT Madras
  • IIT Kanpur
  • IIT Mandi
  • IIT Indore
This shows a national-level collaborative approach. TECHNOLOGY INNOVATION HUBS The government has set up 25 Technology Innovation Hubs to support AI and related technologies such as:
  • Artificial Intelligence
  • Robotics
  • Machine Learning
  • Cybersecurity
Four hubs have been upgraded to improve industry and research collaboration:
  • IIT Indore
  • IIT Kanpur
  • IIT Dhanbad
  • Indian Institute of Science
This helps in faster technology development and practical use. COMPUTE POWER & GPUs
  • Advanced AI needs strong computing power, especially GPUs.
  • Under the IndiaAI Mission:
    • A special “compute pillar” has been created.
    • Shared computing resources will be provided at subsidised rates.
    • Access may also expand through alternative sources.
  • This ensures researchers and developers get enough computing support.

PRIVATE SECTOR PARTICIPATION

  • The government is encouraging private companies to participate.
  • A ₹1 lakh crore Research, Development and Innovation funding initiative has been launched to support:
    • AI infrastructure
    • Compute needs
    • Projects close to practical use
  • This will strengthen India’s AI ecosystem.
Access and Pricing
  • The model is sovereign but not closed.
  • The government is working on:
    • Data-sharing rules
    • Safety safeguards
    • Pricing structure
    • Possible discounts for certain users
  • Details are still under discussion.

WHY IS THIS IMPORTANT?

  • Promotes digital inclusion in Indian languages.
  • Strengthens India’s technological independence.
  • Supports research and innovation.
  • Encourages industry participation.
  • Protects national data interests.
Bharat GenAI is designed as a continuously evolving national capability, not a one-time project.