Rajya Sabha Q&A: Bharat GenAI to Complete Multilingual LLM Models for All 22 Scheduled Languages
SDG 4: Quality Education | SDG 9: Industry, Innovation and Infrastructure | SDG 10: Reduced Inequalities | SDG 16: Peace, Justice and Strong Institutions
Ministry of Science & Technology
Announced by Dr. Jitendra Singh in the Rajya Sabha on February 5, 2026, India is developing its first government-owned sovereign AI model. The initiative aims to complete text-based models for all 22 constitutionally recognised languages by the end of February. Unlike global AI models designed for linguistically homogeneous societies, Bharat GenAI is tailored to India’s unique cultural and linguistic diversity, with specific applications in agriculture, Ayurveda, and the legal system.
Technological Architecture and Ecosystem Support The initiative is structured as a national capability led by a high-level academic consortium:
Consortium Leadership: IIT Bombay is spearheading the project, supported by IITs in Hyderabad, Madras, Kanpur, Mandi, and Indore.
Current Capabilities: While text models cover all 22 languages, speech and vision capabilities have already been developed for 15 languages, with further expansion underway.
Computational Infrastructure: The IndiaAI Mission includes a dedicated compute pillar to provide access to graphics processing units (GPUs) and shared resources at subsidized rates.
Innovation Hubs: 25 technology innovation hubs have been established, with four upgraded (at IIT Indore, IIT Kanpur, IIT Dhanbad, and IISc Bengaluru) to facilitate industry-research co-location.
What is a “Sovereign Large Language Model” (LLM) in the context of Bharat GenAI? A sovereign Large Language Model is a foundational AI system that is owned, governed, and hosted by a nation-state to ensure data security, cultural authenticity, and technological autonomy. Unlike commercial LLMs that may be trained on biased or western-centric datasets, Bharat GenAI is designed specifically for Indian societal contexts and linguistic nuances. By maintaining sovereign control, the government ensures that critical sectors like the legal system and public health (Ayurveda) are supported by AI that adheres to national data safeguards and reflects regional dialects and variations.
Policy Relevance
The Bharat GenAI initiative represents a transition toward technological sovereignty and inclusive digital public infrastructure. By automating high-skill cognitive tasks in all 22 scheduled languages, India is ensuring that the benefits of the AI revolution are accessible to every citizen, regardless of their primary language.
Strategic Impact:
Democratizing Information Access: Completing models in all 22 languages allows for the delivery of complex government services—including legal and agricultural advice—directly to rural populations in their native tongue.
Building a Talent Pipeline: The consortium-based approach involving multiple IITs creates a “whole-of-science” framework that nurtures indigenous AI talent and reduces reliance on foreign tech monopolies.
Accelerating Technology Transfer: Upgraded innovation hubs enable the private sector to commercialize sovereign AI research faster, particularly through the ₹1 lakh crore RDI fund.
Linguistic Data Preservation: By moving beyond scheduled languages to include dialects, Bharat GenAI serves as a digital repository for India’s endangered linguistic heritage.
Relevant Question for Policy Stakeholders: How can MeitY collaborate with state governments to ensure that the ‘Bharat GenAI’ speech-to-text models are integrated into all E-Gram Swaraj platforms to enable voice-based local governance by 2027?
Follow the full news here: Bharat GenAI Multilingual LLM Completion | PIB