IT Ministry Selects Three New Startups to Build Indigenous LLMs

Pratiksha Ghosh 

New Delhi, May 31, 2025 :In a significant push towards developing homegrown artificial intelligence capabilities, the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY) has onboarded three more AI startups under the ambitious IndiaAI mission which boosted India’s AI mission .The selected startups—Soket AI Labs, Gnani.ai, and Gan.ai—will focus on building foundational large language models (LLMs) personalised  to India's diverse linguistic and technological needs.

Soket AI Labs has been entrusted with developing one of the largest foundational models in the country, boasting a staggering 120 billion parameters. This model is expected to power advanced AI applications across multiple sectors, enhancing India's competitive edge in global AI innovation.

Gnani.ai, known for its work in conversational AI, will develop a 14 billion parameter foundational model specifically focused on Voice AI. This model aims to strengthen voice-based interfaces, particularly for regional language users, enhancing accessibility and digital inclusion.

Gan.ai, on the other hand, will take on the development of a 70 billion parameter multilingual foundational model. This model is set to cater to India’s vast linguistic diversity, enabling more effective AI solutions for vernacular content creation, translation, and communication.

The inclusion of these three startups marks a significant step forward in India’s efforts to become a global hub for AI innovation. Under the IndiaAI initiative, the government seeks to promote indigenous AI research and reduce dependence on foreign models by building robust, scalable, and culturally relevant LLMs.

The move aligns with India’s broader digital public infrastructure strategy and underscores the government's commitment to fostering innovation, entrepreneurship, and self-reliance in critical technologies.

As development progresses, these foundational models are expected to play a key role in sectors ranging from education and healthcare to governance and agriculture, empowering digital transformation across the country.