Nandan Nilekani Doles Out Second Grant To AI4Bharat
D2CX by Inc42 is a 12-week hands-on program designed to help individuals enhance their D2C skills. Participants have the opportunity to learn from the top 1% D2C founders and experts in India, gaining actionable insights, strategies, and tactics to grow their D2C brand exponentially.
ManagementX by Inc42 is India's premier Startup Management Program, spanning over 6 months. This program offers a transformative experience, shifting participants from an outdated "employee mindset" to a more empowered "leader mindset".
D2CX Foundations by Inc42 is a 6-week program tailored to assist in successfully launching and profiting from a D2C brand. Participants learn from the top 1% of D2C founders and experts in India, acquiring actionable insights and strategies to ensure a successful D2C brand launch within 6 weeks.
India's startup ecosystem is dynamic, with ever-changing news, funding updates, and government policies in the tech sector. Stay informed and stay ahead by partnering with Inc42, India's top startup media and intelligence platform.
Nandan Nilekani's Contribution to AI4Bharat
Nandan Nilekani has pledged a second multi-year grant to AI4Bharat, a language AI project based at IIT Madras. With a total investment of INR 70 Cr, Nilekani aims to support the development of open-source tools for Indian languages through AI4Bharat.
AI4Bharat focuses on creating models for speech recognition, translation, and text-to-speech in various Indian languages. These tools are already in use by the government and services like Bhashini, a part of the Digital India initiative providing multilingual digital services in areas such as health, governance, and finance.
Nilekani has been a vocal advocate for a robust, independent AI ecosystem in India, advocating for public digital infrastructure that includes language access, data rights, and open innovation. Through his EkStep Foundation, he supports projects focusing on education, digital inclusion, and open-source technology. Nilekani has also played a pivotal role in initiatives like Aadhaar, UPI, and DigiLocker to bolster India's digital landscape.
The language models developed by AI4Bharat support regional chatbots, voice-based UPI payments, and even the translation of Supreme Court rulings. Farmers benefit from real-time agricultural assistance using AI4Bharat's tools, such as the Kisan e-Mitra service.
Notably, AI4Bharat has been reported to be accumulating 10 Tn tokens of language data to create the next wave of AI services. Nandan Nilekani's initial support for AI4Bharat began in 2022 through his EkStep Foundation, leading to the establishment of the Nilekani Centre at IIT Madras, dedicated to building AI infrastructure in Indian languages.
AI4Bharat makes its data and tools freely accessible to startups, researchers, and the government through its platform and India's open AI repository, AIKosha. The project has previously introduced its open-source speech dataset, IndicVoices, as part of its initiatives.
