The BharatGen initiative, launched on September 30, 2024, marks a significant milestone as the first government-funded multimodal large language model (LLM) initiative aimed at developing generative AI technologies tailored for Indian languages. Spearheaded by IIT Bombay under the National Mission on Interdisciplinary Cyber-Physical Systems (NM-ICPS), this initiative aims to create AI systems that can generate high-quality text and multimodal content in various Indian languages.
The launch of BharatGen is aligned with the Indian government’s vision of Atmanirbhar Bharat (self-reliant India) and aims to place India at the forefront of AI technology development. Union Minister Dr. Jitendra Singh emphasized that this initiative reflects India not just as a user but as a producer of innovative AI technologies that cater to the country’s diverse needs and cultures.
Additionally, BharatGen serves as a foundational step towards promoting social equity in technology, ensuring that all segments of society benefit from the advancements in AI. The initiative reflects the Indian government’s commitment to making AI work for the populace, particularly in an inclusive manner that respects the country’s rich linguistic diversity.