Backed by the IndiaAI Mission, BharatGen will help drive international efforts to develop advanced AI models through distributed collaboration while ensuring participating nations retain sovereignty over data, infrastructure, and deployments.
India’s government-backed artificial intelligence initiative BharatGen has been selected to spearhead the country’s participation in Project Tapestry, a multinational effort aimed at developing next-generation AI models through collaborative and distributed training.
The announcement was made by the AI Alliance, which said BharatGen would serve as India’s anchor organization in the initiative and take on a leadership role in workstreams related to distributed model development. The move places India among a growing group of nations working together to build advanced AI systems without centralizing data ownership or control.
Project Tapestry seeks to establish a new framework for AI development by enabling participating countries and institutions to contribute data, expertise, and computing resources while maintaining authority over their own digital assets and deployments.
India’s sovereign AI ambitions gain momentum
BharatGen, developed by an IIT Bombay-led consortium and supported by the IndiaAI Mission, is focused on creating indigenous foundation models tailored to India’s linguistic and cultural diversity. The initiative is designed to support 22 Indian languages and deliver AI applications across sectors including healthcare, education, governance, agriculture, law, and finance.
Commenting on the development, Shireesh Kedare, Director of IIT Bombay and Chairman of BharatGen, said India’s participation reflects the country’s commitment to building advanced AI systems rooted in local languages, knowledge systems, and national priorities. He noted that BharatGen’s involvement as a founding contributor aligns with the broader vision of creating globally relevant yet locally grounded AI technologies.
The project received a major boost earlier this year when it secured funding under the IndiaAI Mission to accelerate the development of homegrown foundation models and AI infrastructure.
Global collaboration without data centralisation
Launched recently, Project Tapestry brings together organizations from countries including the United States, France, India, Japan, Vietnam, Switzerland, and the United Arab Emirates. The initiative is built around the principle that frontier AI can be developed collaboratively while preserving national and institutional sovereignty over data and technology.
Dr. Yann LeCun, Chief Science Advisor to the AI Alliance and Executive Chairman of AMI Labs, described AI as a critical infrastructure layer for the future and emphasized the importance of ensuring that access to advanced AI development is not controlled by a handful of entities.
The collaboration comes at a time when governments worldwide are increasingly prioritizing AI sovereignty, trusted infrastructure, and open innovation models. For India, BharatGen’s role in Project Tapestry represents a significant step toward strengthening its position in the global AI ecosystem while advancing its vision of self-reliant and inclusive artificial intelligence development.
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