Dr. Jitendra Singh Launches BharatGen: First Indigenous Multimodal AI Model for Indian Languages

In a landmark stride towards democratizing artificial intelligence (AI) in India, Union Minister of State (Independent Charge) for Science & Technology, Dr. Jitendra Singh, officially launched ‘BharatGen’, the country’s first indigenously developed Multimodal Large Language Model (LLM) tailored specifically for Indian languages. The launch took place at the prestigious BharatGen Summit, the nation’s largest summit and hackathon dedicated to generative AI and large language models, hosted in New Delhi.

BharatGen is a significant outcome of the National Mission on Interdisciplinary Cyber-Physical Systems (NM-ICPS) and is being implemented by the TIH Foundation for IoT and IoE at IIT Bombay. The initiative is supported by the Department of Science and Technology (DST) and executed through a robust consortium of 25 Technology Innovation Hubs (TIHs), with four now upgraded to Technology Translational Research Parks (TTRPs).

This strategic move is part of India's larger push to assert leadership in ethical and inclusive AI, while enabling a rich technological infrastructure that reflects the nation’s linguistic and cultural diversity.

What Sets BharatGen Apart?

Unlike typical LLMs developed globally, BharatGen is multimodal, integrating text, speech, and image capabilities, and is trained to understand and generate content in 22 Indian languages. This empowers the AI model to provide highly localized, accurate, and culturally relevant outputs, offering a more relatable user experience across India’s diverse demographic landscape.

BharatGen aims to support key public sectors—including healthcare, agriculture, education, and e-governance—with AI solutions that can adapt to regional dialects, address local issues, and provide real-time services without language barriers.

“This AI model isn’t just a technological milestone—it’s a cultural and linguistic enabler,” said Dr. Jitendra Singh, who is also Minister of State for the Prime Minister’s Office, Personnel, Public Grievances, Pensions, Atomic Energy, and Space. “BharatGen is a national mission to build AI that is ethical, inclusive, multilingual, and deeply rooted in Indian values.”

Bridging Innovation and Inclusion

Dr. Singh emphasized how BharatGen aligns with Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s vision of 'India’s Techade', where innovation is not just a pursuit of excellence but a tool for social and economic inclusion. He noted that platforms like BharatGen will play a pivotal role in reaching the unreached, by equipping even the remotest corners of the country with powerful, region-sensitive AI.

Citing a case from his own constituency, Dr. Singh shared an anecdote about an AI-powered telemedicine program where the virtual doctor communicates fluently in a patient’s native language. “It has a placebo-like effect. Patients feel more at ease, leading to improved treatment outcomes,” he noted.

He further connected BharatGen with India’s broader digital governance transformation, mentioning CPGRAMS—the Centralized Public Grievance Redress and Monitoring System—which now incorporates multilingual feedback systems inspired by the capabilities of generative AI.

Supporting Startups and the Grassroots Economy

Dr. Singh pointed to the growing success of over 3,000 Agri-tech startups, citing examples such as lavender farming in Jammu & Kashmir. He highlighted that innovation is no longer confined to metros or tech hubs—it is thriving in rural India as well.

BharatGen’s implementation framework is built on four pillars:

1. Technology Development

2. Entrepreneurship Support

3. Human Resource Development

4. International Collaboration

These pillars will ensure not just the development but the deployment and democratization of AI, including enabling student-led innovations through hackathons and academic collaborations.

BharatGen Hackathon 2025 and Strategic Partnerships

The summit also witnessed the launch of the Generative AI Hackathon 2025, designed to engage India's young minds in solving real-world challenges using AI. The hackathon promises mentorship, funding support, and incubation opportunities for top-performing teams, creating pathways for the next generation of Indian AI entrepreneurs.

A series of Memoranda of Understanding (MoUs) were also exchanged among central ministries, research institutions, and industry partners to foster cross-sector collaborations, technology transfer, and policy development.

A Gathering of Visionaries

The BharatGen Summit was marked by the participation of distinguished leaders from government, academia, and industry, including:

• Prof. Abhay Karandikar, Secretary, Department of Science and Technology (DST)

• V. Srinivas, Secretary, Department of Administrative Reforms and Public Grievances (DARPG)

• Rajit Punhani, Secretary, Ministry of Skill Development & Entrepreneurship

• Abhishek Singh, Additional Secretary, Ministry of Electronics and IT (MEITY)

• Kris Gopalakrishnan, Co-founder of Infosys and a champion of India’s digital future

• Prof. Ganesh Ramakrishnan, Principal Investigator of BharatGen and a key architect of the initiative

Their collective insights underscored the importance of public-private-academic synergy in scaling India's AI ecosystem.

The Road Ahead

As India races towards becoming a global AI powerhouse, BharatGen is a testament to the country’s capability to design and deploy AI for Bharat, by Bharat. By fostering innovation that is region-aware, linguistically adept, and inclusively designed, the initiative stands to transform not only digital service delivery but also national competitiveness in emerging technologies.

BharatGen isn’t just a technological marvel; it is a statement of intent—that India is ready to lead the world in building ethical, equitable, and culturally grounded AI systems for the future.