India has built a ChatGPT competitor with the development of Project Indus by Tech Mahindra. CP Gurnani, the former CEO of Tech Mahindra and founder of AIonOS, recently announced at the fifth annual MachineCon GCC Summit in Bangalore that his team successfully developed a large-language model (LLM) for $5 million. This achievement came in response to a challenge posed by OpenAI’s CEO, Sam Altman.
Sam Altman had remarked during his visit to India last June that it was “totally hopeless to compete with us on training foundation models” with a budget of $10 million. He advised Indian startups not to attempt it but also encouraged them to try anyway. Altman later clarified on social media that he believed Indian startups could make unique contributions to AI technology.
Gurnani recounted how he immediately tasked his chief innovation officer at Tech Mahindra to devise a plan. Within six hours, a plan was in place. The resulting LLM, known as Project Indus, was developed in five months and can communicate in about 40 different local languages and dialects.
Project Indus: A Milestone in Indian AI
India has built a ChatGPT competitor with Project Indus, developed by Tech Mahindra. Tech Mahindra launched the first phase of Project Indus, emphasizing its significance in India’s AI landscape. Nikhil Malhotra, global head of the Makers Lab at Tech Mahindra, explained that Project Indus was built from the ground up. Data was collected from the Hindi-speaking population to develop the model.
Project Indus utilizes the “GenAI in a box” framework, enabling easy deployment for enterprise use. The project leverages technology, storage, and networking capabilities from Dell Computers. Denise Millard, chief partner officer at Dell Technologies, highlighted the importance of accessibility and scalability for organizations aiming to harness the power of AI.
Santhosh Viswanathan, vice president and managing director of Intel’s India region, noted that this collaboration would redefine AI solutions and empower businesses to scale and innovate rapidly. Tech Mahindra plans to use Project Indus as a foundation to develop LLMs for other languages, including Bahasa Indonesia, to support communication in local dialects.
India’s Growing AI Potential
Gurnani emphasized India’s growing role in the AI industry and predicted that the country would become self-reliant in semiconductor technology within five to seven years. He highlighted the potential of AI to improve productivity by 40% in sectors like sales and customer service.
The successful development of Project Indus for under $5 million challenges Sam Altman’s initial skepticism and showcases India’s burgeoning capabilities in AI technology. Tech Mahindra’s initiative marks a significant step forward, proving that innovation and determination can overcome perceived limitations.
The development of Project Indus by Tech Mahindra, under the leadership of CP Gurnani, marks a significant milestone in India’s AI journey. The project’s completion within a budget of $5 million and a span of five months is noteworthy, particularly in light of Sam Altman’s comments suggesting that competing with OpenAI on training foundation models would be futile with a limited budget. This achievement has garnered attention and praise, but it’s essential to critically analyze the broader implications and future potential.
Project Indus: Strengths and Innovations
Project Indus, developed for $5 million, showcases efficient resource management and innovative approaches to creating a large-language model (LLM). This achievement underscores Tech Mahindra’s ability to deliver high-tech solutions economically.
India has built a ChatGPT competitor that can communicate in 40 different local languages and dialects. A standout feature of Project Indus is its capacity to converse fluently in 40 different local languages and dialects. This capability marks a significant stride towards inclusivity in AI technology, addressing the diverse linguistic needs of India’s population.
Partnerships with tech giants like Dell Computers and Intel bolster Project Indus’s credibility. These collaborations ensure access to cutting-edge technology and robust infrastructure, which is essential for the model’s development and deployment.
