IBM and BharatGen Join Forces to Advance AI Innovation in India
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new Delhi, India – september 18, 2024 – IBM and BharatGen announced a strategic collaboration today to accelerate the growth and deployment of artificial intelligence solutions tailored for the Indian market. The partnership will focus on building sovereign AI capabilities powered by Indic large language models (LLMs), addressing the unique linguistic and cultural nuances of India’s diverse population.
This initiative arrives at a pivotal moment as India seeks to harness the transformative power of AI across key sectors like agriculture, finance, education, and governance. By combining IBM’s global AI expertise with BharatGen’s deep understanding of Indian languages and cultural contexts, the collaboration aims to overcome existing barriers to AI adoption and foster inclusive digital growth.The partnership will prioritize the inclusion of underserved Indian languages and dialects, extending digital participation beyond the commonly supported top 12-22 languages.
Key Collaboration Areas
- Develop an enterprise-scale model development methodology to strengthen responsible model development.
- Create new benchmarks specifically suited for Indic domain and languages.
- Research new and emerging model architecture and technologies leveraging IBM and BharatGen’s experience in high-performance generative AI models.
According to Prof.Ganesh Ramakrishnan of BharatGen, This collaboration with IBM allows us to bring cutting-edge global research, scalable architectures and inclusive systems for India.
He further emphasized the commitment to drive transformative solutions for empowering India’s digital journey.
Sandip Patel,Managing Director of IBM India and South Asia,stated,Through our collaboration with BharatGen,we aim to advance sovereign AI capabilities that reflect India’s diversity and deliver meaningful impact across sectors.
BharatGen’s roadmap encompasses both national and commercial applications, with a particular emphasis on representing underserved languages and fostering self-reliance through sovereign AI models. The initiative is supported by the Department of Science and Technology (DST) under the Technology Innovation Hub at IIT Bombay.
Did You Know?
BharatGen is building a family of LLMs and multi-modal FMs to serve diverse needs in India, including representing underserved languages and creating sovereign models for self-reliance.
| Area of Focus | Key Objective |
|---|---|
| Model development | Responsible AI practices |
| Benchmarking | Indic language suitability |
| Research | Advanced AI architectures |
| Language Inclusion | Beyond top 22 languages |
Pro Tip: Explore IBM’s AI capabilities and BharatGen’s initiatives to understand how these advancements can benefit your institution or community.
IBM,a global leader in hybrid cloud and AI,brings its expertise in enterprise-grade platforms and scalable architectures to the partnership. BharatGen, a multimodal and large language model initiative, contributes its deep understanding of Indian languages and cultural nuances. This synergy aims to create AI solutions that are not only technologically advanced but also culturally relevant and inclusive.
What impact will this collaboration have on AI accessibility for rural communities in India? how will the focus on underserved languages contribute to bridging the digital divide?
– Prof. Ganesh Ramakrishnan, BharatGen
Background: The Rise of Sovereign AI
The concept of sovereign AI
is gaining traction globally, driven by concerns about data privacy, national security, and the need for AI systems that reflect local values and priorities. India’s commitment to developing its own AI capabilities aligns with this trend, aiming to reduce reliance on foreign technologies and foster innovation within the country. The partnership between IBM and BharatGen represents a significant step towards realizing this vision, leveraging both international expertise and local knowledge.
Frequently Asked Questions
- What is the primary goal of the IBM-BharatGen collaboration? The collaboration aims to accelerate the development and deployment of AI solutions tailored for the Indian market, focusing on Indic languages and cultural nuances.
- What are Indic large language models? These are AI models specifically trained on Indian languages and data, designed to better understand and process the linguistic diversity of India.
- Which sectors will benefit from this partnership? Agriculture, finance, education, healthcare, national security, and governance are key sectors expected to benefit from the AI solutions developed through this collaboration.
- How will underserved languages be included? The partnership prioritizes the inclusion of languages beyond the top 12-22 most spoken in India, ensuring broader digital participation.
- What role does the Department of Science and Technology (DST) play? The DST supports bharatgen as a Technology Innovation Hub at IIT Bombay, providing funding and guidance for the initiative.
We encourage you to share this exciting news with your network and join the conversation about the future of AI in India! Feel free to leave your thoughts and questions in the comments below – we’d love to hear from you.