India is betting big on homegrown AI innovation with the upcoming reveal of PARAM-2 at the India AI Impact Summit 2026. This 17 billion parameter behemoth, developed under the BharatGen banner, represents a strategic pivot towards self-reliant artificial intelligence.
Supported by DST’s national generative AI program, PARAM-2 addresses India’s unique needs— from its 22 official languages to cultural nuances and administrative demands. Powered by datasets from the Bharat Data Sagar and a sophisticated Mixture-of-Experts framework, it outperforms in handling intricate multilingual operations.
‘It’s more than a launch; it’s a testament to collective ingenuity,’ says IIT Bombay’s Professor Ganesh Ramakrishnan. Years of groundwork have positioned India among few nations capable of crafting large-scale AI models.
In a departure from consumer-facing platforms like Gemini, BharatGen treats its models as national public assets. This enables offline deployment across sectors like healthcare, judiciary, and finance, ensuring data stays within India’s borders.
Backed initially by 235 crore under the cyber-physical systems mission and now bolstered by 900 crore from the IndiaAI Mission, this initiative underscores India’s national AI strategy. PARAM-2 isn’t just technology; it’s a foundation for equitable digital progress, poised to bridge gaps in accessibility and efficiency nationwide.