How Can India Win AI Race? Top AI Expert Dr. Pratyush Kumar Explains | SparX

May 31, 2025

In this engaging discussion, Pratyush Kumar, co-founder of Sarvam AI, dives deep into India's ambitious plans for AI sovereignty. He reveals how they’re developing multilingual AI models tailored for India's diverse linguistic needs. The conversation covers the importance of local data, the potential of domain-specific AI, and creating accessible technology for all Indians. Pratyush also shares his journey from academia to entrepreneurship and the urgency of establishing India as a leader in the global AI landscape.

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INSIGHT

Sarvam AI: Indian Language Edge

Sarvam AI focuses on Indian languages, mixing English and local scripts, and excels in math and programming tasks.
The model is designed to be accurate, cost-efficient, and supports unique think modes enhancing reasoning.

INSIGHT

Smaller Models Are The Workhorse

Smaller AI models (20-30 billion parameters) optimized for efficiency will be the practical workhorses.
Larger models mainly generate data and distill knowledge to improve smaller, widely used models.

INSIGHT

Indian Language AI Challenge

Indian languages and dialects are extremely diverse, posing unique challenges and opportunities for AI.
Effective AI requires deep cultural and linguistic digitization beyond just language translation.

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In this thought-provoking episode of SparX, we speak with Pratyush Kumar, co-founder of Sarvam AI, about India's bold journey to build its own large language models (LLMs) and establish true AI sovereignty. Pratyush shares insights into the launch of Sarvam, a homegrown multilingual model capable of handling math, programming, and Indic languages with impressive accuracy. The conversation dives into the challenges and opportunities of creating smaller, cost-efficient models that can be run locally, the importance of Indian-origin data, and how AI must be made accessible across India’s diverse linguistic landscape. Pratyush also reflects on his journey from academia to entrepreneurship, the urgency of building open-source tools, and how Indian voices, culture, and context can shape the global AI narrative. The episode touches on:

– How Sarvam AI is built differently for India’s needs

– The importance of voice-to-voice and cross-language translation

– Why domain-specific AI could unlock India's full digital potential

– What true AI-first organizations and nations should prioritize now

This is a must-watch for anyone curious about the future of AI, India’s place in it, and how we can build a technological ecosystem that reflects and serves our unique context.

About SparX by Mukesh BansalSparX is a podcast where we delve into cutting-edge scientific research, stories from impact-makers and tools for unlocking the secrets to human potential and growth. We believe that entrepreneurship, fitness and the science of productivity is at the forefront of the India Story; the country is at the cusp of greatness and at SparX, we wish to make these tools accessible for every generation of Indians to be able to make the most of the opportunities around us. In a new episode every Saturday, our host Mukesh Bansal (Founder of Myntra and Cult.fit) will talk to guests from all walks of life and also break down everything he's learnt about the science of impact over the course of his 20-year long career. This is the India Century, and we're enthusiastic to start this journey with you.Follow us on our Instagram: / sparxbymukeshbansal Also check out our website: https://www.sparxbymukeshbansal.com You can also listen to SparX on all audio platforms!Fasion | Outbreak | Courtesy EpidemicSound.com