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Author Jay Tiwari
5 min read

Sarvam AI: The startup building India's first homegrown Generative AI for every language

Sarvam AI Featured Image

Sarvam AI: Pioneering India’s Generative AI Revolution


Sarvam AI, founded in 2023 by Dr. Vivek Raghavan and Dr. Pratyush Kumar, is on a mission to revolutionize AI in India. The Bengaluru-based startup is building large language models (LLMs) tailored for India’s linguistic diversity, focusing on voice-first applications.

🚀 The Mission of Sarvam AI

India has over 1.4 billion people and more than 20 officially recognized languages, yet most AI models cater primarily to English. Sarvam AI aims to bridge this gap by creating AI that understands, processes, and interacts in multiple Indian languages.

The company’s focus is on voice-first AI solutions, enabling businesses and developers to build speech-based generative AI applications.

👨‍🔬 The Visionary Founders

Dr. Vivek Raghavan played a key role in India’s digital transformation, contributing to:

  • 🌍 Aadhaar – World’s largest digital identity system
  • 🗣️ Bhashini – India’s AI-driven language platform
  • 🔬 AI4Bharat – Open-source AI for Indian languages

Dr. Pratyush Kumar has extensive experience in AI research:

  • 🎓 Ph.D. from ETH Zurich & B.Tech. from IIT Bombay
  • 🏢 Previously worked at Microsoft Research & IBM Research
  • 📚 Co-founded PadhAI, an AI learning platform

🛠️ AI Technology & Innovations

Unlike many AI startups that fine-tune Western AI models, Sarvam AI is developing large-scale language models from scratch, optimized for Indian languages.

Key AI Features:

  • 🗣️ Voice-first AI interfaces
  • 🌐 Multilingual support for Indian languages
  • Optimized for low-resource computing

💰 Funding & Industry Impact

Sarvam AI gained early investor interest, raising $41 million in Series A funding in December 2023, led by Lightspeed, with participation from Peak XV Partners and Khosla Ventures.

The funding helps scale AI models and integrate AI solutions into public infrastructure.

📦 Sarvam AI’s GenAI Product Suite

In 2024, Sarvam AI launched its full-stack Generative AI platform, comprising:

  • 🤖 Sarvam Agents – AI-powered assistants
  • 📝 Sarvam 2B – Advanced language model
  • 🎤 Shuka 1.0 – Speech-to-text AI
  • 📊 Sarvam Models – Pre-trained AI models
  • 🛠️ A1 – AI developer tools
Sarvam AI Product Suite

🔮 Future of AI in India

Sarvam AI envisions a future where AI enhances digital accessibility, breaking language barriers and empowering millions of Indians. With government initiatives like Bhashini promoting AI-driven solutions, the company is well-positioned to lead India’s AI revolution.

💡 Dr. Kumar recently announced that Sarvam AI successfully translated Lex Fridman’s podcast with PM Narendra Modi into 9 Indian languages, demonstrating the power of Indian-language AI.

💡 Final Thoughts

Sarvam AI is redefining AI in India by creating language-inclusive, voice-first AI solutions. With a strong vision, cutting-edge AI technology, and investor backing, the startup is shaping the future of AI in India.

🔗 For more updates, visit the official Sarvam AI website.