India now has confidence to create tech, not just use it: Sarvam AI

Sarvam AI co-founder Vivek Raghavan expressed confidence in India's shift from a tech user to a creator, driven by its youth. He detailed their open-source AI model with significant Indian language data to focus on 'Indian thoughts'.

Sarvam AI co-founder Vivek Raghavan expressed confidence in India's potential to be a creator of technology and not remain a mere user of technology. He observed that the country previously remained only a user, but now possessed the confidence to lead in innovation.

"We have seen how we have only become the users of technology, not the creators of technology. Today, India is a different country. We're a country which has so much more confidence. We can do this," Raghavan told reporters here. He attributed this change to the contributions of the younger generation. "These are the young kids of India who are doing this," he said while discussing the shift in the country's technological landscape.

Building a Global Model with an Indian Focus

Speaking to the media at the sidelines of the India AI Summit 2026, Raghavan detailed his company's efforts to build a global model heavily grounded in Indian language data. He noted that the new model utilised 18 trillion tokens, with 10 to 20 per cent of that data being Indian, a notable increase from the 0.1 per cent typically found in other global models.

"...18 trillion tokens. The interesting thing is that if you look at Indian content in...the expectation in more global models is 0.1%. We are building a global model as well, but in that sense, at least 10 to 20 % of all the tokens are actually Indian language data. Therefore, that will more naturally kind of make these things focused on Indian thoughts," the Sarvam AI co-founder said.

Open Source for Broader Participation

The co-founder confirmed that the model remains open source for the developer community. He stated that individuals with the necessary technical expertise could utilise the technology for their own purposes.

"The model that we are building is open source," Raghavan said, adding, "If you have the technical chops, take it and do whatever you want with it. No problem." He suggested that this openness would allow for broader participation in the country's AI journey and encouraged a shared belief in the nation's technical capabilities.

Raghavan explained that incorporating a higher percentage of Indian language data helped the technology align more closely with local perspectives. "So therefore, that will more naturally kind of make these things focused on Indian thoughts," he noted. He emphasised that the primary goal was to provide for the entire nation, ensuring that even the last person gains access to these tools. He stated that the company intended to stay focused on these requirements as the technology evolved.

Economic Realities and Future Outlook

However, Raghavan also addressed the economic challenges of maintaining AI infrastructure. He pointed out that providing these services involved high costs that required a sustainable solution. "We would like to build for the country and would like to build so the last person can get access to these things and to inference cost money, and we have to figure out how to pay for that. That's a very simple ground proof," he said.

While he did not provide specific details on the financial model or future pricing, he indicated that the company preferred to stay focused on the foundational work for the time being. "Now what will happen, know, time will tell," Raghavan said regarding the long-term impact of these initiatives. He reiterated the importance of maintaining an indigenous focus to ensure that technology served the domestic population effectively.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by Asianet Newsable English staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)