- Published on June 16, 2025
- In AI Features
Why Bhashini isn’t Competing with OpenAI or Indian AI Startups
‘We’re not trying to become the biggest company in AI—we’re building public infrastructure that makes such growth possible.’
- By Mohit Pandey
When people think about building AI, their first thought is usually big tech or the billion-dollar AI startups like OpenAI or Anthropic. But in India, the approach is a little different. Here, the government is leading in providing funding and setting up the required infrastructure and platform for the entire population.
Over the last three years, government-led Bhashini has quietly built language models, translation platforms, and tools that now power 10 million translation requests daily, with the Bhashini app crossing a million downloads.
Yet, that’s just the beginning. India’s flagship language AI mission isn’t trying to outpace OpenAI or the growing wave of Indian AI startups. It’s laying the foundation for them.
“Think of Bhashini like NPCI,” Amitabh
📣 Want to advertise in AIM? Book here
Mohit Pandey
Mohit writes about AI in simple, explainable, and often funny words. He's especially passionate about chatting with those building AI for Bharat, with the occasional detour into AGI.
Related Posts
How This Coimbatore SaaS Firm Cracked Hidden Enterprise Problem Costing Millions
Founded in 2015, now based in Portland, Responsive supports more than 20% of Fortune 100 companies
Enterprises Beware: Agent-Washing Clouds the Future of AI
Vendors mislabel copilots as agents, raising regulatory and operational risks for firms chasing the promise of agentic AI.
How Neysa Stands Out in the IndiaAI GPU Race
Unlike other providers focused on GPU allocation, Neysa claims to deliver an end-to-end AI cloud platform.
Two Indian Engineers on a Mission to Automate Home Cooking for the World
In a live demonstration for AIM, Posha prepared paneer tikka masala in approximately 25 minutes
BharatGen and the Pursuit of Sovereign, Scalable AI for India
“Knowledge-driven components are important because we don’t want everything to be just algorithmic innovation.”
How Pradhi AI Embeds Emotional Intelligence in Voice AI
As businesses recognise the potential of voice-driven tech, Pradhi AI is laying the foundation for an empathetic, responsive AI ecosystem.
Mangaluru Looks to Build Its Own Tech Identity, Not Replicate Bangalore
“The coastal city could showcase tangible results by applying deep tech to areas it already dominates”
Google’s Gemini Nano Banana and the Cost of Convenience
The company’s new AI image and photo editor deepens concerns over data use and consent gaps, experts warn.
Download the easiest way to
stay informed
stay informed
