Sarvam Launches Indus Chat App, Challenging AI Giants in India

Sarvam, an Indian AI startup, has launched its Indus chat app for web and mobile users, entering a rapidly expanding market currently dominated by global players like OpenAI, Anthropic, and Google. The launch underscores India’s growing importance as a key battleground for generative AI adoption.

India’s Growing AI Landscape

OpenAI CEO Sam Altman recently stated that ChatGPT has over 100 million weekly active users in India [Forbes], even as Anthropic reports that India accounts for 5.8% of total Claude usage, second only to the United States.

Introducing Indus and Sarvam’s 105B Model

Indus serves as a chat interface for Sarvam’s newly announced 105B model, a 105-billion-parameter large language model. The app’s release follows Sarvam’s unveiling of its 105B and 30B models at the India AI Impact Summit in New Delhi. At the summit, the company also detailed enterprise initiatives, hardware plans, and partnerships with HMD to integrate AI into Nokia feature phones and with Bosch for AI-enabled automotive applications.

App Features and Availability

Currently in beta on iOS, Android, and the web, the Indus app allows users to interact through text or voice queries, receiving responses in both text and audio formats. Users can sign in using their phone number, Google or Microsoft account, or Apple ID. The service is currently limited to users in India.

Current Limitations

The Indus app currently has some limitations. Users cannot delete their chat history without deleting their entire account, and there is no option to disable the app’s reasoning feature, which can sometimes affect response times. Sarvam has cautioned users that access may be restricted as the company expands its compute capacity.

“We’re gradually rolling out Indus on a limited compute capacity, so you may hit a waitlist at first. We will expand access over time,” Sarvam co-founder Pratyush Kumar wrote on X.

Sarvam’s Funding and Vision

Founded in 2023, Sarvam has secured $41 million in funding from investors including Lightspeed Venture Partners, Peak XV Partners, and Khosla Ventures to develop large language models specifically tailored for the Indian market.

The Rise of Indian AI Startups

Sarvam is part of a growing number of Indian startups working to create domestic alternatives to global AI platforms, reflecting India’s desire for greater control over its AI infrastructure.