Sarvam Archives - World Today News

India’s AI landscape gained a new contender Friday with the launch of Indus, a chat application developed by Sarvam AI. The app, available in beta on iOS, Android, and the web, aims to provide a domestic alternative to global generative AI platforms like OpenAI’s ChatGPT, Anthropic’s Claude, and Google’s offerings.

Sarvam AI unveiled Indus alongside its newly announced 105B model – a 105-billion-parameter large language model – at the India AI Impact Summit in New Delhi earlier this week, according to reports. The launch positions Sarvam as a key player in a rapidly expanding Indian market, where ChatGPT already boasts over 100 million weekly active users, and Claude accounts for 5.8% of its total usage, second only to the United States.

The Indus app allows users to interact through text or voice, receiving responses in both text and audio formats. Access is currently limited to users in India, who can sign in using their phone number, Google account, or Apple ID. Sarvam co-founder Pratyush Kumar acknowledged potential access restrictions on X, stating that the rollout is occurring on limited compute capacity and access will be expanded over time as the company gathers user feedback.

While offering a native AI experience, Indus currently has limitations. Users are unable to delete individual chat histories without deleting their entire account, and the app’s reasoning feature, while intended to enhance responses, can sometimes slow down processing times. Sarvam has cautioned users about potential waitlists due to ongoing capacity constraints.

Founded in 2023, Sarvam AI has secured $41 million in funding from investors including Lightspeed Venture Partners, Peak XV Partners, and Khosla Ventures, fueling its development of large language models specifically tailored for the Indian market. The company is not alone in this endeavor; a growing number of Indian startups are striving to create domestic AI alternatives, reflecting India’s ambition to establish greater control over its AI infrastructure.

Beyond the chat application, Sarvam has announced partnerships aimed at broadening the reach of its AI technology. These include a collaboration with HMD to integrate AI capabilities into Nokia feature phones and a partnership with Bosch to develop AI-enabled applications for the automotive industry. These initiatives were also highlighted at the India AI Impact Summit.

New Delhi – Indian artificial intelligence startup Sarvam AI unveiled plans to deploy its newly developed AI models on Nokia feature phones, automobiles and its own line of smart glasses at the India AI Impact Summit on Wednesday. The move signals a significant shift for the company, previously focused on enterprise applications, towards consumer-facing technology.

Sarvam’s models are designed as “edge models,” requiring only megabytes of storage and capable of running on existing phone processors, even offline, according to Tushar Goswamy, head of Edge AI at Sarvam. A demonstration at the summit showcased a user interacting with an AI assistant on a Nokia feature phone via a dedicated AI button, receiving guidance on government programs and local market information. It remains unclear whether all showcased features will function without an internet connection.

The company has secured backing from Lightspeed, PeakXV, and Khosla Ventures. Sarvam is partnering with HMD Global, the maker of Nokia-branded phones, to integrate the conversational AI assistant into its devices. The startup is also collaborating with Qualcomm to optimize its models for Qualcomm chipsets, and with German engineering firm Bosch to bring AI assistants to vehicles. At a demonstration, Sarvam showcased an in-car AI assistant responding to driver queries about fuel levels and vehicle maintenance history.

Sarvam also presented its “Sarvam Kaze” smart glasses, manufactured in India, which co-founder Pratyush Kumar described as a “builders’ device” slated for release in May. The company launched two new large language models (LLMs) at the summit: Sarvam 30B and Sarvam 105B. According to reports, the 105B model surpasses the performance of DeepSeek R1.

Sarvam’s emergence as a prominent attraction at the India AI Impact Summit was noted by organizers, who confirmed its pavilion received more visitors than any other company’s, according to reports. The Indian government extended the summit by one day, to Saturday, February 21, in response to the high attendance.

The partnerships with Qualcomm, Bosch, and Nokia HMD were announced at the summit. Sarvam’s collaboration with Nokia HMD will integrate its chatbot technology into feature phones, enabling users to interact with the devices using natural language. The Sarvam 30B model is specifically designed for real-time conversations on these devices.

Sarvam

Sarvam Launches Indus: India’s New AI Chatbot to Rival ChatGPT

Sarvam AI: Bringing Models to Nokia Phones, Cars & Smart Glasses | TechCrunch