The Department of Science and Technology (DST) has launched ‘Bharat Gen’, India’s first-of-its-kind, indigenously developed, artificial intelligence (AI) based, government-funded, multimodal large language model (LLM) for Indian languages.
Developed under the National Mission on Interdisciplinary Cyber-Physical Systems (NM-ICPS) and implemented through TIH Foundation for IoT and IoE at IIT Bombay, BharatGen aims to revolutionise AI development across India’s linguistic and cultural spectrum. The initiative is supported by the DST and brings together a robust consortium of leading academic institutions, experts, and innovators.
Union Minister of State (Independent Charge) for Science & Technology, Minister of State for Prime Minister’s Office, Personnel, Public Grievances, Pensions, Atomic Energy and Space, described BharatGen as a “national mission to create AI that is ethical, inclusive, multilingual, and deeply rooted in Indian values and eothos.”
The platform integrates text, speech, and image modalities, offering seamless AI solutions in 22 Indian languages. “This initiative will empower critical sectors such as healthcare, education, agriculture, and governance, delivering region-specific AI solutions that understand and serve every Indian,” the minister added.
He further spoke about AI-powered telemedicine services where an AI doctor communicates fluently in the patient’s native language. “It not only builds trust but has a placebo-like psychological effect, enabling better care in remote regions connected with super speciality hospitals across India,” he noted.
He emphasised that BharatGen aligns with government’s vision of “India’s Techade”, not just for innovation but for inclusion. He hailed India’s AI progress as a global benchmark, including Centralised Public Grievance Redress and Monitoring System (CPGRAMS), now studied by several countries as a model grievance redressal system.