Aam Aadmi Party MP Raghav Chadha addressed a critical issue hindering India’s progress in Artificial Intelligence (AI) during a session in the Rajya Sabha. He emphasized that the main obstacle is not funding or talent but the scarcity of computational resources, especially Graphics Processing Units (GPUs). Chadha highlighted that the increasing costs of GPUs and disruptions in the global supply chain are significantly impeding India’s expansion of data centers and efforts to train advanced AI models.
India currently possesses around 34,000 GPUs, a number Chadha deemed insufficient on a global scale for the development of state-of-the-art AI systems. Seeking specific information from the Minister of State for Science and Technology, Chadha inquired about the government’s targets, timelines, and strategic engagements to ensure consistent and secure access to these crucial computational resources.
In response to Chadha’s concerns, Minister of State for Science and Technology Jitendra Singh acknowledged the pivotal role GPUs play in AI development. He disclosed that compute has been designated as a key vertical under the IndiaAI Mission, offering high-end computing services through authorized providers with discounts of up to 40% for eligible users. Additionally, access to computational resources from other sources is being facilitated for larger AI models with billions of parameters.
Singh assured that the government is actively tackling these challenges and has initiated measures to address them. He highlighted a significant initiative where the private sector is being encouraged to invest in AI projects, with the recent launch of the first call for proposals to stimulate private investments. The minister expressed confidence that these endeavors, in conjunction with existing initiatives, will propel India towards global AI leadership without compromising on quality.
