New Delhi, Feb 5 : As India accelerates its journey into artificial intelligence (AI), OpenAI Co-founder and CEO Sam Altman emphasized the nation’s crucial role in the AI revolution, calling it the company’s second-largest global market. Speaking alongside Union Minister for Railways and Electronics and IT, Ashwini Vaishnaw, Altman reaffirmed that India is well-positioned to lead in developing AI models and solutions.
Altman, who recently announced the ambitious $500 billion ‘Stargate’ project to build new AI infrastructure in the US in partnership with SoftBank, Oracle, and MGX, praised India’s potential. “India is a very important market for AI. It is our second biggest market. AI models are still not cheap, but they are achievable. India should be a leader in this space,” Altman told the gathering.
He also addressed the controversy surrounding his earlier statements regarding India’s ability to build large language models (LLMs), clarifying that his comments were misinterpreted.
A Vision for Affordable and Indigenous AI Development
Minister Vaishnaw echoed Altman’s optimism, pointing out India’s proven track record of achieving cost-effective innovation, such as with the Chandrayaan mission. He expressed confidence that India could replicate this success in the AI sector. According to the minister, India is on track to launch its own safe, secure, and cost-effective AI model within six months.
The upcoming AI model is expected to provide reliable, ethical AI solutions tailored to India’s domestic needs, particularly in supporting Indian languages. Backed by a state-of-the-art computing facility, the initiative will empower researchers, students, and developers to drive AI innovation across the country.
State-of-the-Art Infrastructure for AI Growth
The AI model will initially operate with 10,000 GPUs, with plans to add an additional 8,693 GPUs soon. The government has committed to making this computing power affordable, with costs expected to be less than Rs 100 per hour after a 40% subsidy. This is a game-changer compared to global AI model costs, which currently range between $2.5 and $3 per hour.
Global Impact, Local Innovation
India’s upcoming AI model will have computational resources surpassing many existing open-source models, such as China’s DeepSeek, and will rival major players like ChatGPT in scale. This initiative, led by scientists, developers, and researchers, will help establish India as a global hub for AI-driven innovation, offering scalable, affordable solutions to meet domestic and international demands.
With its sights set on fostering affordable and ethical AI advancements, India is on the brink of becoming a technological powerhouse, creating opportunities for industries and individuals while shaping the global AI landscape. ( with IANS inputs)