The year 2023 marked a significant chapter in the evolution of artificial intelligence, particularly with the rise of large language models (LLMs). The pivotal point can be traced back to the launch of OpenAI’s ChatGPT in late 2022, a groundbreaking development that underscored the potential of generative AI (GenAI) systems. ChatGPT wasn’t just another AI tool; it was a harbinger of an AI revolution, changing the way we interact with technology.

As GenAI systems like Google’s Gemini 1.0, Meta’s LLaMA 2, and others began to flourish, a new era dawned where AI was no longer just an analytical tool but a creator, capable of generating content with a simple prompt.

As GenAI continued to integrate into various sectors, India didn’t remain a bystander. The second half of 2023 saw a surge in Indian LLMs, tailored to the unique linguistic and cultural landscape of the country. With over 400 languages, the challenge was immense but necessary, given the dominance of English in digital content. The Indian AI landscape rose to the occasion, led by initiatives like Bharat GPT and Krutrim, focusing on bridging the linguistic digital divide.

This burgeoning sector has attracted substantial interest and investment, leading to several promising Indian LLMs. Here are seven such models that are poised to make significant impacts in 2024:

1. Sarvam AI

Founded by Vivek Raghavan and Pratyush Kumar, Sarvam AI focuses on breaking language barriers in India. With a $41 million funding round, OpenHathi v.01 aims to support various Indian languages, offering a platform for businesses to leverage these models. Sarvam’s commitment to democratizing AI in a linguistically diverse country like India is commendable.

2. CoRover

Ankush Sabharwal, Manav Gandotra, and Kunal Bhakhri’s CoRover, founded in 2016, specialize in AI chatbots. Their conversational AI platforms, supporting over 100 languages, focus on enhancing customer experience and operational efficiency. CoRover’s commitment to human-centric AI solutions is a noteworthy contribution to the Indian AI ecosystem.

3. Krutrim AI

Krutrim AI, unveiled by Ola’s Bhavish Aggarwal, represents India's answer to advanced LLMs. The LLM, trained on 2 trillion tokens and fluent in over 20 Indian languages, showcases India’s full-stack AI development capabilities. Its performance and linguistic versatility make it a significant player in the Indian AI market.

See also: 8 Things You Probably Didn’t Know ChatGPT Could Do

4. Haptik AI

Aakrit Vaish and Swapan Rajdev’s Haptik AI, established in 2013, specializes in AI-powered chatbots and virtual assistants. With a focus on NLP and machine learning, Haptik AI aims to revolutionize customer service and support across various industries. The company’s ability to streamline operations and enhance user experiences is a testament to its innovation and expertise.

5. Bhashini

Prime Minister Narendra Modi's unveiling of “Bhashini” highlights the government’s commitment to AI-driven language translation. Aimed at enhancing digital services across India’s diverse linguistic landscape, Bhashini represents a significant step towards digital inclusivity and empowerment, particularly for underrepresented languages.

6. Karya AI

Founded by Manu Chopra, Vivek Seshadri, and Safiya Husain, Karya is not just a project but a social endeavour. Karya AI creates employment for rural Indians through AI data collection in local languages, demonstrating technology’s positive societal impact. Their collaboration with global giants like Microsoft and Google further underscores their potential and impact.

7. Project Vaani

Project Vaani, spearheaded by Google in collaboration with the Indian Institute of Science, is a significant endeavour in the field of artificial intelligence (AI), particularly focusing on speech recognition and language processing technologies. The project ambitiously targets gathering anonymized speech data from 773 districts, covering 38 languages. This amounts to over 4,000 hours of recorded speech. Such an extensive dataset is crucial for training AI models to understand and process a wide array of Indian languages and dialects accurately.

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