January 30, 2025: In a significant move to strengthen data security and AI capabilities, the Indian government has decided to host DeepSeek, the Chinese open-source artificial intelligence model, on local servers. Union Minister of Information Technology, Ashwini Vaishnaw, announced the decision on Thursday, stating that the initiative is aimed at addressing privacy concerns while ensuring that India remains at the forefront of AI advancements.
Alongside this, Vaishnaw also revealed that India is working on developing its own foundational AI model, which is expected to be launched in the coming months. To support AI development, the government has empaneled 18,693 Graphics Processing Units (GPUs) under a common computing facility, making high-performance computing more accessible for researchers and developers in the country.
The Indian government has been making substantial investments in artificial intelligence, with over ₹10,300 crore committed under the IndiaAI mission. This initiative focuses on funding AI startups and strengthening AI infrastructure across the nation. Addressing concerns over the scale of investment, Vaishnaw pointed to the success of DeepSeek, which was developed with just $5.5 million but has emerged as a highly efficient and powerful AI model. His remarks also seemed to counter comments made by OpenAI CEO Sam Altman, who, during his visit to India last year, had expressed skepticism about an Indian team’s ability to develop a significant AI model.
In addition to these developments, the IT minister also announced the establishment of an AI safety institution to regulate and oversee responsible AI usage. As AI continues to evolve rapidly, the government’s focus is not just on development but also on ensuring its ethical deployment.
DeepSeek, developed by a Chinese startup, has been making waves in the AI community, particularly for its efficiency in handling complex reasoning tasks. Its latest model, DeepSeek R1, has already surpassed OpenAI’s ChatGPT in app downloads on Apple’s App Store, signaling its growing global appeal.
With India taking decisive steps to bolster its AI infrastructure and innovation, the latest move to host DeepSeek locally, alongside the push for indigenous AI development, positions the country as a key player in the global AI landscape.