RT team
The Indian government has issued a call for proposals to enlist artificial intelligence (AI) infrastructure providers for the Rs 10,372 crore India AI mission, initiated by the cabinet in March. This invitation aims to gather entities capable of delivering cloud-based AI services to support the mission’s expansive goals.
Selected providers, such as data centers and cloud services, will need to supply cutting-edge AI computing resources—including GPUs, accelerators, TPUs, and expansive storage solutions—to a diverse range of beneficiaries like academic institutions, startups, researchers, and governmental entities. These services should be offered at competitive prices determined through a transparent bidding process.
Under the banner of the Digital India Corporation and the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY), the IndiaAI mission is designed to foster a robust AI ecosystem. As part of this initiative, the mission plans to provide over 10,000 GPUs to various stakeholders to enhance their AI capabilities. This was highlighted in a recent announcement on social media by Abhishek Singh, the Additional Secretary at MeitY.
The global surge in AI technology has significantly increased the need for GPU-powered servers, known for their speedy data processing capabilities compared to traditional CPU servers. In India, the cost for GPU-based cloud services is notably higher than in other leading tech nations. According to the MeitY’s request for empanelment, the selected providers are expected to offer high-performance computing, advanced networking, and comprehensive storage solutions to power projects within the IndiaAI Mission, including the development of large language models and AI applications akin to ChatGPT.
