During CEO Satya Nadella’s recent three-day visit to India, Microsoft announced a strategic partnership with Indian generative AI startup, Sarvam AI, signaling a significant step forward in the tech giant’s push for the widespread adoption of its AI-based services and products across the country.
Sarvam AI’s innovative collaboration with Microsoft involves the integration of its Indic voice large language model (LLM) into the Azure platform. This move underscores Microsoft’s unwavering commitment to fostering AI-driven growth and innovation within the Indian tech landscape.
At the forefront of innovation, Sarvam AI specializes in developing cutting-edge generative AI models tailored to Indic languages and contextual nuances. The startup’s overarching goal is to streamline the development and deployment processes of generative AI applications in India, making them more precise and cost-effective.
Central to Sarvam AI’s collaboration with Microsoft
The introduction of its Indic voice LLM, which aims to deliver a seamless and natural voice-based interface to users. Initially launched in Hindi, the Indic voice LLM is poised to revolutionize user experiences by bridging linguistic barriers and providing localized solutions. Sarvam AI is committed to expanding its language coverage to encompass a wider array of Indian languages, all while ensuring support for colloquial language usage to enhance accessibility and user engagement.
Pratyush Kumar, co-founder of Sarvam AI, expressed immense enthusiasm about the partnership with Microsoft, emphasizing their shared vision of inclusivity and accessibility. He stated, “We are very excited to collaborate with Microsoft to make advanced AI technology accessible and impactful for everyone in India. This partnership embodies our vision of ‘Sarvam’ – meaning ‘all’ – by enhancing AI’s reach across various Indian languages and sectors.”
By joining forces with Sarvam AI, Microsoft aims to democratize AI technology and empower diverse communities across India to leverage its transformative potential fully. This strategic alliance underscores the collective efforts of both companies to drive innovation, foster digital inclusion, and pave the way for a more connected and empowered future in India’s rapidly evolving technological landscape.
While ensuring responsible and ethical AI practices. Vivek Raghavan, co-founder of Sarvam AI, expressed enthusiasm about the collaboration, highlighting the cooperation between Sarvam AI’s deep-tech expertise and Microsoft’s leadership in frontier models and the Copilot stack. He highlighted their shared goal of empowering enterprises to succeed in the realm of Generative AI swiftly and responsibly.
Leveraging Microsoft’s state-of-the-art cloud and AI infrastructure, including the Azure OpenAI Service and Azure Machine Learning, Sarvam AI will expedite the training, hosting, and scaling of its LLMs, ensuring rapid and efficient deployment. Moreover, the collaboration entails joint research efforts between Sarvam AI and Microsoft to enhance support for Indian languages within Microsoft’s Generative AI frontier language models and to deploy them at scale, thus catering to the diverse linguistic landscape of India.
Puneet Chandok, president of Microsoft India & South Asia:
Underscored Microsoft’s commitment to democratizing AI and fostering India’s transition into an AI-first nation. He pointed out that through the partnership with Sarvam AI, Microsoft is not only championing homegrown innovation but also paving the way for a future where individuals from all walks of life can harness the power of voice-driven AI solutions. Together, they are poised to usher in a new era of empowerment, enabling individuals, communities, and organizations across India to achieve unprecedented feats.
Microsoft has unveiled a skilling initiative in India, titled ADVANTA(I)GE INDIA
Microsoft has taken initiative with the ambitious goal of training 2 million individuals in AI skills by 2025. Aimed at empowering India’s workforce with future-ready skills and accelerating the country’s AI transformation. Aligned with responsible AI principles, the training will be delivered in collaboration with governments, nonprofits, corporates, and communities.
Smt. Trishaljit Sethi, Director General (Training), Ministry of Skill Development & Entrepreneurship, emphasized the importance of AI in shaping India’s future and committed to partnering with Microsoft to equip the youth with AI skills. Puneet Chandok, president of Microsoft India & South Asia, described the initiative as a significant step towards democratizing AI skills and propelling India into a promising era of AI fluency.
Ameya Vanjari, COO of Tata STRIVE, highlighted the need for professionals in AI and security skills and expressed Tata STRIVE’s commitment to partnering with Microsoft in training students and connecting them to job opportunities. The initiative will focus on equipping India’s future workforce, upskilling government officials in AI, and enhancing the AI capability of nonprofit organizations, thus fostering AI fluency across the nation.
Empowering India’s Future with AI:
Training the Workforce
Microsoft teams up with India’s Ministry of Skill Development and Entrepreneurship and 10 state governments to train 500,000 students and job seekers in AI across 100 rural vocational education institutions. Additionally, 100,000 young women will receive in-depth AI technical skills training in Tier 2 and Tier 3 cities.
Educating Students
Microsoft aims to raise awareness of responsible AI use among 400,000 students in remote and tribal regions. Initiatives include piloting global programs like TEALS and Farm Beats for Students, fostering the next generation of AI innovators.
Enhancing Government Services
Microsoft strengthens its partnership with India’s National Programme for Civil Services Capacity Building, training 250,000 government officers in generative AI. The goal is to improve productivity and transform digital governance in rural India.
Supporting Nonprofits
Through initiatives like the Generative AI Skills Challenge and LinkedIn Nonprofit Leaders’ Summit, Microsoft enables 2,500 nonprofits to train 750,000 learners in AI fluency and technical skills. Nonprofits gain access to resources hubs to maximize social impact in the AI era.
Microsoft’s commitment to empowering organizations in India with AI is evident through its collaborative efforts and innovative solutions.
