India seeks global AI expertise for domestic models

The government will connect selected companies with global AI experts who will mentor them in designing and developing foundation models tailored to India’s needs, guiding their fine-tuning for diverse applications

The Government of India is set to reach out to a global network of AI and machine learning (ML) experts to mentor companies and startups selected to develop India’s domestic AI foundation model. This initiative, under the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY), aims to bring in top-tier talent to guide the initial stages of setting up the AI framework, as per reports.

The government plans to connect these selected companies with a wide pool of global researchers, academics, and professionals from leading AI companies. Once the companies are chosen, they will be paired with mentors who will assist in the design and development of AI foundation models tailored to the country's needs. These experts will also guide the fine-tuning of the models to create the most appropriate tools for various applications.

According to reports quoting a senior official, the initial phase will primarily involve academic research, training, and development work. As the groundwork progresses, the next step will focus on collecting and training datasets to create AI models suited for India's specific requirements. The entire project will be part of the India AI mission, backed by an investment of Rs 10,372 crore (approximately Rs 103.72 billion).

Global expertise to shape India’s AI

Earlier, Union IT Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw shared that the government was in talks with at least six startups to develop several foundation models in different sectors. Vaishnaw also mentioned that the government had been collaborating with experts in large language models (LLMs) and small language models (SLMs) for nearly 18 months to build the foundational framework.

This global outreach is in line with the government’s ongoing efforts to attract international talent. As part of the 2025 Budget, Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman proposed a new tax regime aimed at attracting global experts to India’s electronics manufacturing sector.

The scheme would tax non-residents providing services at a reduced rate, offering only 25% of their income as taxable profits, leading to an effective tax rate of under 10%. This initiative is expected to facilitate the hiring of global talent, supporting India’s technological ambitions.