Bharat Gen: Government launches multilingual AI to serve India's diverse population

At the BharatGen Summit on Monday, Union Minister of State  for Science and Technology, Dr Jitendra Singh, unveiled Bharat Gen, India’s first indigenous multimodal Large Language Model (LLM). Designed with a strong emphasis on inclusivity, ethics, and linguistic diversity, the initiative marks a significant milestone in India’s AI journey.

Announced by the Ministry of Science and Technology on 2 June 2025, Bharat Gen was developed under the National Mission on Interdisciplinary Cyber-Physical Systems (NM-ICPS). It is being implemented through the TIH Foundation for IoT (Internet of Things) and IoE (Internet of Everything) at IIT Bombay. The project aims to transform AI development by embracing India’s vast linguistic and cultural diversity.

As the first government-funded AI model of its kind, Bharat Gen supports 22 Indian languages and integrates capabilities across text, audio, and image modalities.

Speaking at the event, Dr Singh described Bharat Gen as a “national mission to create AI that is ethical, inclusive, multilingual, and deeply rooted in Indian values and ethos.” He highlighted the transformative potential of the platform across key sectors, including governance, healthcare, education, and agriculture.

“This initiative will empower critical sectors such as healthcare, education, agriculture, and public governance by delivering region-specific AI solutions that understand and serve every Indian,” he stated.

The Minister cited an example from his own constituency to illustrate the impact of AI-powered telemedicine, where an AI doctor communicates fluently in a patient's native language. “This not only fosters trust but also has a placebo-like psychological effect, enabling improved care in remote regions connected to super-speciality hospitals across India,” he explained.

The deployment of Bharat Gen is being facilitated through a nationwide network of 25 Technology Innovation Hubs (TIHs), four of which have evolved into Technology Translational Research Parks (TTRPs). According to the Ministry, the initiative is built on four foundational pillars: international collaboration, entrepreneurship, technological advancement, and human resource development.