New Delhi: On June 2, 2025, India marked a historic milestone in its technological journey with the launch of BharatGen, the country’s first indigenously developed, government-funded, AI-based Multimodal Large Language Model (LLM) tailored for 22 Indian languages. Unveiled by Union Minister of State (Independent Charge) for Science & Technology, Dr. Jitendra Singh, at the BharatGen Summit in New Delhi, this initiative underscores India’s ambition to lead in ethical, inclusive, and multilingual AI innovation. Held on June 2–3 at DAIC, Delhi, the summit was India’s largest Generative Artificial Intelligence (AI) and LLM summit and hackathon, bringing together visionaries, policymakers, academics, and student innovators to shape the future of AI in India.
BharatGen: A National Mission Rooted in Indian Values
BharatGen is not just a technological leap but a national mission to create AI that is ethical, inclusive, multilingual, and deeply rooted in Indian values and ethos, as articulated by Dr. Jitendra Singh. Developed under the National Mission on Interdisciplinary Cyber-Physical Systems (NM-ICPS) and implemented through the Technology Innovation Hubs (TIH) Foundation for IoT and IoE at IIT Bombay, BharatGen is supported by the Department of Science and Technology (DST). This public-private partnership initiative operates as a non-profit company, bringing together a consortium of leading academic institutions, industry experts, and innovators to deliver AI solutions that resonate with India’s linguistic and cultural diversity.
The initiative is built on four primary pillars:
- Creation of Bharat-centric foundational LLM models: These models prioritize Indian languages, culture, and traditions, ensuring AI solutions are relevant to India’s diverse population.
- Bharat Data Sagar: A centralized repository of high-quality, India-specific data to fuel model development and training.
- Startup Ecosystem and Innovation: Empowering entrepreneurs with tools, mentorship, and collaboration opportunities to drive AI-based innovation tailored for India.
- Skilling and Capacity Building: Strengthening India’s AI talent pool through fellowships, hackathons, and specialized courses to position the country as a global AI innovation hub.
BharatGen’s suite of AI models includes Shrutam (Speech), Param (Text), Patram (Document Vision), and Sooktam (Text-to-Speech), designed to integrate text, speech, and image modalities. By supporting 22 Indian languages, BharatGen aims to democratize AI access, making it a powerful tool for sectors such as healthcare, education, agriculture, and governance.
A Vision for India’s Techade
Dr. Jitendra Singh emphasized that BharatGen aligns with Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s vision of “India’s Techade”, which prioritizes innovation for inclusion. Speaking at the summit, he highlighted BharatGen’s potential to transform underserved regions by delivering region-specific AI solutions. A compelling example from his constituency showcased the power of AI-powered telemedicine, where an AI doctor communicates fluently in patients’ native languages. “It not only builds trust but has a placebo-like psychological effect, enabling better care in remote regions connected with superspeciality hospitals across India,” Dr. Singh noted. This innovation is revolutionizing healthcare access in remote villages, bridging gaps between rural communities and advanced medical facilities.
The Minister also celebrated India’s broader AI achievements, citing the Centralized Public Grievance Redress and Monitoring System (CPGRAMS) as a global benchmark for AI-driven governance. Studied by several countries, CPGRAMS integrates multilingual feedback systems to enhance citizen engagement and grievance redressal, exemplifying India’s leadership in participatory governance.
Multimodal LLMs: Powering India’s AI Revolution
BharatGen’s Multimodal Large Language Models (MLLMs) represent a significant advancement over traditional unimodal models, such as earlier versions of ChatGPT. Trained on a combination of text, images, audio, and video, these models excel at understanding and interpreting complex, multi-dimensional data. Unlike unimodal models that struggle with cohesive responses across different modalities, BharatGen’s MLLMs offer seamless integration, making them ideal for diverse applications. From enabling AI doctors to communicate in regional dialects to powering governance platforms with multilingual capabilities, BharatGen is poised to address India’s unique socio-economic challenges.
Fostering Innovation Beyond Metros
Dr. Jitendra Singh highlighted the rise of over 3,000 Agri-tech startups, including pioneering initiatives like lavender cultivation in Jammu & Kashmir, as evidence that India’s innovation ecosystem thrives beyond urban IT hubs. These startups are leveraging AI to transform agriculture, making it more sustainable and efficient. The Minister also praised flagship schemes like PM MUDRA Yojana, PM SVANidhi, and PM Vishwakarma Yojana, which empower micro-entrepreneurs, artisans, and street vendors, aligning with BharatGen’s mission to foster inclusive innovation.
NEP 2020: Blending Humanities and Technology
The National Education Policy (NEP) 2020 was lauded for its role in supporting India’s AI transformation. By encouraging students to combine humanities and technology, NEP 2020 fosters interdisciplinary learning, enhancing employability and innovation potential. Dr. Singh emphasized that this approach equips students to tackle real-world challenges with a holistic perspective, making them key contributors to India’s AI ecosystem.
Generative AI Hackathon 2025: Engaging Young Innovators
A major highlight of the BharatGen Summit was the launch of the Generative AI Hackathon 2025, designed to engage student innovators in solving real-world problems through AI. The summit also marked the grand finale of a two-month hackathon, which saw participation from 279 teams across 21 states. These young innovators developed India-centric AI solutions, showcasing the potential of grassroots innovation to address pressing challenges. The hackathon underscores BharatGen’s commitment to nurturing talent and fostering collaboration between students, academia, and industry.
A Collaborative Ecosystem
BharatGen’s execution involves a network of 25 Technology Innovation Hubs (TIHs), with four upgraded to Technology Translational Research Parks (TTRPs). These hubs focus on technology development, entrepreneurship, human resource development, and international collaboration. A significant MoU exchange ceremony at the summit strengthened ties across government departments and research hubs, reinforcing the collaborative spirit of the initiative.
The summit was graced by key dignitaries, including:
- Prof. Abhay Karandikar, Secretary, Department of Science and Technology (DST), who highlighted BharatGen as India’s opportunity to lead on the global AI stage.
- V. Srinivas, Secretary, Department of Administrative Reforms and Public Grievances (DARPG).
- Rajit Punhani, Secretary, Ministry of Skill Development & Entrepreneurship.
- Abhishek Singh, Additional Secretary, Ministry of Electronics and IT (MeitY).
- Kris Gopalakrishnan, Co-founder of Infosys and Chairman of the Mission Governance Board, NM-ICPS.
- Prof. Ganesh Ramakrishnan, Principal Investigator of BharatGen.
- Shri Shrish Kedare, Director, IIT Bombay.
- Prof. V. Kamakoti, Director, IIT Madras.
Their presence underscored the shared national aspiration to develop locally trained LLMs that reflect India’s linguistic and cultural fabric. Industry leaders from Nvidia, Intel, Nasscom, IBM, AWS, Neysa, and AppSquadz also participated, contributing to the summit’s vision of building a robust AI ecosystem through public-private collaboration.
Voices of Leadership
Prof. Abhay Karandikar emphasized, “With initiatives like BharatGen, we have chartered an ambitious journey of India’s own Large Language Model. This is India’s opportunity to build, lead, and inspire on the global AI stage.” Rishi Bal, Executive VP of BharatGen, added, “At the heart of BharatGen is a bold vision: to build truly sovereign AI for India and in India. Today’s launch is a pivotal moment in our journey to build a self-reliant AI future for India.”
Prof. Ganesh Ramakrishnan highlighted the challenges of pre-training large models and BharatGen’s role in overcoming them. “Pre-training large models is a monumental task—one that often remains out of reach for many. BharatGen is rising to that challenge by building foundational models and new AI techniques that are rooted in the linguistic and cultural depth of India,” he said.
Kiran Shesh, CEO of TIH at IIT Bombay, reinforced the vision to democratize Generative AI. “We envision an India where AI is not just a technological milestone, but an integral part of everyday life—empowering people through seamless human-tech collaboration,” he shared.
A Unified Vision for Global Leadership
The BharatGen Summit emerged as a unique convergence of top-tier AI thought leadership and grassroots innovation. With enthusiastic participation from hundreds of researchers, students, and industry leaders, the event delivered a compelling mix of strategic vision and real-time problem-solving. The focus was not just on catching up with global AI innovation but on defining a future where India leads with open, scalable, and responsible AI solutions.
By addressing India’s unique needs—linguistic diversity, cultural richness, and socio-economic challenges—BharatGen positions India as a contender in the global AI race. The initiative reflects a commitment to ensuring that AI serves every citizen, in their own language, with ethical foundations and regional relevance. As India continues to build its AI ecosystem, BharatGen stands as a testament to the country’s ambition to lead the global AI revolution while staying true to its values.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
1. What is BharatGen, and what makes it unique?
BharatGen is India’s first indigenously developed, government-funded, AI-based Multimodal Large Language Model (LLM) designed to support 22 Indian languages. Launched at the BharatGen Summit on June 2, 2025, it integrates text, speech, and image modalities to deliver ethical, inclusive, and multilingual AI solutions. Developed under the National Mission on Interdisciplinary Cyber-Physical Systems (NM-ICPS) and led by IIT Bombay’s TIH Foundation for IoT and IoE, BharatGen is unique for its focus on Indian languages, culture, and values, aiming to empower sectors like healthcare, education, agriculture, and governance with region-specific solutions.
2. What are the key goals of the BharatGen initiative?
BharatGen operates on four primary pillars:
Skilling and Capacity Building: Enhancing India’s AI talent pool through fellowships, hackathons, and courses to position India as a global AI innovation hub.
Creation of Bharat-centric foundational LLM models: Developing AI models tailored to Indian languages, culture, and traditions.
Bharat Data Sagar: Centralizing high-quality, India-specific data for model training.
Startup Ecosystem and Innovation: Providing entrepreneurs with tools, mentorship, and collaboration opportunities to foster AI innovation.
3. How does BharatGen’s Multimodal LLM differ from other AI models?
Unlike unimodal models (e.g., earlier versions of ChatGPT), BharatGen’s Multimodal Large Language Models (MLLMs) are trained on a combination of text, images, audio, and video. This enables them to understand and interpret complex, multi-dimensional data, offering seamless responses across different modalities. With models like Shrutam (Speech), Param (Text), Patram (Document Vision), and Sooktam (Text-to-Speech), BharatGen delivers versatile AI solutions tailored for India’s linguistic and cultural diversity.
4. How does BharatGen support India’s socio-economic progress?
BharatGen aims to transform critical sectors such as healthcare, education, agriculture, and governance by providing AI solutions in 22 Indian languages. A notable example is AI-powered telemedicine, where AI doctors communicate in regional dialects, enhancing trust and healthcare access in remote villages. Additionally, BharatGen supports grassroots governance through platforms like CPGRAMS, fosters over 3,000 Agri-tech startups, and aligns with schemes like PM MUDRA Yojana and PM SVANidhi to empower micro-entrepreneurs, ensuring inclusive innovation across India.
5. What was the significance of the BharatGen Summit and Hackathon 2025?
Held on June 2–3, 2025, at DAIC, Delhi, the BharatGen Summit was India’s largest Generative AI and LLM summit and hackathon. It marked the launch of BharatGen’s suite of AI models and featured the Generative AI Hackathon 2025, engaging 279 student teams from 21 states to solve real-world challenges. The summit fostered collaboration among government, academia, and industry leaders like Nvidia, Intel, and Infosys, reinforcing India’s vision to lead the global AI landscape with ethical and inclusive solutions.
