Should India Develop Its Own AGI Model?

A pressing question being debated in India’s technology and policy circles is whether the country should develop its own AI model. And if so, has India missed the boat? The answer is clear: Yes, India must develop its own AI model, and no, it is not too late. In fact, now is the perfect time.

Why This Is the Right Moment for India

Artificial General Intelligence (AGI) is evolving at an unprecedented pace. The early pioneers—OpenAI, DeepMind, and Anthropic—had to build their models from scratch, requiring immense computational power, large datasets, and significant capital investments. They laid the groundwork, proving that AGI is achievable.

Now, the paradigm has shifted. The focus is no longer on proving whether AGI works but on optimizing efficiency, enhancing capabilities, and ensuring accessibility. This shift presents a golden opportunity for India. Rather than repeating the costly R&D phase of AI development, India can focus on building competitive models using existing knowledge and techniques, significantly reducing time and costs.

A prime example is DeepSeek, a Chinese AI project that demonstrated how high-quality AGI models could be developed with fewer resources by optimizing algorithms and leveraging existing advancements. DeepSeek used less powerful GPUs compared to its Western counterparts but compensated with smarter training methodologies. The takeaway for India? The key to success is not just compute power but innovation in model efficiency and training techniques.

India’s Advantage: Trust and Global Market Appeal

Another crucial factor in AGI development is trust. Countries worldwide are becoming increasingly concerned about data security, AI bias, and geopolitical control over advanced technologies. India has a major advantage over China in this regard. While Chinese AI models—such as those from DeepSeek and Baidu—have strong capabilities, they often face global skepticism due to concerns over data privacy, government influence, and potential misuse.

A domestically developed Indian AI model would inherently enjoy higher trust levels in global markets due to India’s democratic framework, strong legal institutions, and commitment to open technological ecosystems. This trust factor could be a significant competitive advantage when India’s AI models enter the international arena.

While DeepSeek is open-source and claims to have strong data security practices, questions remain about where it sourced its training data. There have also been concerns about whether DeepSeek copied ChatGPT. However, it’s essential to understand that AI models frequently build upon previous models. It is entirely reasonable for AI researchers to use existing models as a base for training new ones.

For instance, when asked, DeepSeek identifies itself as ChatGPT-4. This is likely because it used ChatGPT to refine its English-language outputs. However, despite some similarities, DeepSeek behaves differently in various tasks and has even surpassed GPT-4 in some benchmark tests. The lesson for India is that instead of reinventing the wheel, leveraging and improving upon existing models can lead to faster and more cost-effective innovation.

How Should India Approach AGI Development?

Given this context, India should not start from scratch. Instead, it should take the following strategic steps:

1. Build on Existing Open-Source Models

Many advanced AI models are already open-source or partially accessible. Projects like Meta’s LLaMA, Mistral, DeepSeek, and Falcon provide a strong foundation. India should leverage these models and refine them with its own innovations rather than duplicating efforts.

2. Focus on Model Efficiency and Cost Optimization

India must prioritize cost-effective AI development. Instead of competing in raw computing power, India should invest in:

• Model distillation techniques to compress large models into more efficient versions.

• Sparse computing methods that reduce the need for expensive hardware.

• Data-efficient training strategies that rely on high-quality, curated datasets instead of sheer volume.

3. Assemble the Right Talent

India has a strong talent pool in AI research, but top researchers often move abroad due to better funding and opportunities. To succeed, India needs to:

• Create AI research hubs similar to OpenAI and DeepMind.

• Attract global AI talent by offering competitive salaries and research grants.

• Encourage collaboration between academia, startups, and the government.

4. Ensure Transparency and Ethical AI Development

AGI development is not just about technology—it’s also about governance. India must:

• Clearly define how its models are trained, what data is used, and how bias is managed.

• Develop robust AI ethics guidelines to ensure fairness and accountability.

• Open-source key aspects of the model to gain trust and allow public scrutiny.

The Need for a Strong Regulatory Framework

AI regulation in India must keep pace with global standards. The European Union has already introduced strict AI laws, and the United States is also moving toward AI governance. India must:

• Benchmark its AI policies with global frameworks to ensure compatibility.

• Define clear rules on what data inputs are allowed and what outputs must be restricted.

• Strike a balance between openness and accountability, ensuring that open-source AI still has appropriate safeguards.

An AI regulatory framework should also clarify the role of private players, ensuring that Indian startups and tech giants have a fair playing field against global corporations.

Why India Must Move Fast—and Move Smart

AGI is evolving rapidly. Every time we think we’ve reached the frontier, the boundary is pushed further. If India wants to be a global AI leader, it must act with urgency.

A delay of even two to three years could mean losing out on leadership in a technology that will define the next industrial revolution. However, this does not mean India should rush blindly into AGI development. Instead, it must:

• Move fast by leveraging existing research and models.

• Innovate smartly by focusing on efficiency, cost-effectiveness, and unique IP.

• Ensure trust and transparency to gain global credibility.

The Window of Opportunity Is Open—India Must Seize It Now

India has everything it needs to become a major player in AGI: a strong talent pool, a trusted global reputation, and a massive data ecosystem. However, the window of opportunity won’t stay open forever. If India takes a strategic, innovation-driven, and transparent approach, it can not only catch up with AGI leaders but also carve out a unique position in the global AI landscape. The time to act is now. India must move fast, move smart, and build a future where it is not just a participant in AGI but a leader.