The government has launched a bid invitation for the empanelment of entities to provide artificial intelligence (AI) services on the cloud as part of the Rs 10,372-crore India AI mission, approved by the cabinet earlier this year. The selected entities, which may include data centers and cloud service providers, will be tasked with offering high-speed AI computing infrastructure, such as GPUs (Graphics Processing Units), accelerators, and TPUs (Tensor Processing Units). This infrastructure will be accessible to academia, startups, researchers, and government bodies, all at the lowest rates determined through the competitive bidding process.

As part of the IndiaAI Mission, over 10,000 GPUs will be made available to support the development of a robust AI ecosystem in the country. The Ministry of Electronics and IT (MeitY), through its Digital India Corporation’s IndiaAI initiative, has issued a Request for Empanelment (RFE) to engage service providers who can supply the necessary AI computing power and storage.

Abhishek Singh, Additional Secretary at MeitY, emphasized that this move is a response to the growing global demand for GPU-based servers, which are essential for the rapid processing of data required in AI applications. Currently, GPU-based cloud services in India are more expensive than in countries with extensive GPU installations, highlighting the need for this initiative.

The empaneled agencies will provide the high-performance computing, networking, and storage solutions needed for the mission’s activities, including the development of indigenous large language models (LLMs) and other AI applications. The empanelment will last for 36 months, with the possibility of extension based on mutual agreement.

The RFE clarifies that this is not a procurement agreement but an invitation for proposals from interested bidders. The chosen entities must make 1,000 AI compute units available on their cloud platforms within six months of signing the agreement with IndiaAI.

The government has launched a bid invitation for the empanelment of entities to provide artificial intelligence (AI) services on the cloud as part of the Rs 10,372-crore India AI mission, approved by the cabinet earlier this year. The selected entities, which may include data centers and cloud service providers, will be tasked with offering high-speed AI computing infrastructure, such as GPUs (Graphics Processing Units), accelerators, and TPUs (Tensor Processing Units). This infrastructure will be accessible to academia, startups, researchers, and government bodies, all at the lowest rates determined through the competitive bidding process.

As part of the IndiaAI Mission, over 10,000 GPUs will be made available to support the development of a robust AI ecosystem in the country. The Ministry of Electronics and IT (MeitY), through its Digital India Corporation’s IndiaAI initiative, has issued a Request for Empanelment (RFE) to engage service providers who can supply the necessary AI computing power and storage.

Abhishek Singh, Additional Secretary at MeitY, emphasized that this move is a response to the growing global demand for GPU-based servers, which are essential for the rapid processing of data required in AI applications. Currently, GPU-based cloud services in India are more expensive than in countries with extensive GPU installations, highlighting the need for this initiative.

The empaneled agencies will provide the high-performance computing, networking, and storage solutions needed for the mission’s activities, including the development of indigenous large language models (LLMs) and other AI applications. The empanelment will last for 36 months, with the possibility of extension based on mutual agreement.

The RFE clarifies that this is not a procurement agreement but an invitation for proposals from interested bidders. The chosen entities must make 1,000 AI compute units available on their cloud platforms within six months of signing the agreement with IndiaAI.