New Delhi: The IndiaAI Mission, under the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY), has released three indigenous foundation models – EKA-1 by Soket Labs Technology and Research Private Limited and Dhīr 2B and Dhīr 5B by ZenteiQ AiTech Innovations.
The launch marks another milestone in India’s efforts to strengthen its homegrown artificial intelligence (AI) capabilities and develop foundation models tailored to the country’s requirements.
The indigenous foundation models were unveiled at a press event in New Delhi in the presence of S. Krishnan, Secretary, Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY), Government of India, and senior officials from MeitY and IndiaAI, alongside the leadership teams of Soket and ZenteiQ.
Developed under the IndiaAI Innovation Centre (Foundation Models) pillar of the IndiaAI Mission, the models demonstrate different approaches to building India’s AI capabilities, ranging from large-scale language models designed for complex applications to lightweight multilingual assistants that can operate on local devices.
IndiaAI Mission Releases EKA-1 and Dhīr Foundation Models
Commenting on the release of the indigenous foundation models, S. Krishnan, Secretary, Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY), said, “The development of such indigenous models strengthens India’s technological and strategic autonomy in Artificial Intelligence. It also opens up opportunities to improve productivity and efficiency across government, industry, research and education.
These resources have supported the development of models such as EKA-1 and Dhīr, each addressing distinct and relevant use cases.
Through platforms such as AIKosh, these models can be made accessible to researchers, students, innovators and the wider public, encouraging further experimentation and innovation.”
Speaking about India’s progress in developing indigenous AI capabilities, Sudeep Shrivastava, COO, IndiaAI, said, “IndiaAI Mission’s comprehensive support ecosystem is dedicated to making artificial intelligence more accessible and tailored to India’s unique landscape.
Breakthrough models like Dhīr and EKA-1 showcase the nation’s multi-layered progress in AI ranging from lightweight solutions optimized for everyday devices to robust powerhouses engineered for complex enterprise applications.”
Soket AI and ZenteiQ were among the teams selected under the IndiaAI Innovation Centre (Foundation Models) pillar to develop indigenous foundation AI capabilities and Large Language Models (LLMs).
Under the mission, the selected teams received access to subsidised national AI compute infrastructure and support for ancillary research expenses.
This support facilitated the development of the models and highlighted the role of public AI infrastructure in accelerating homegrown AI innovation.
EKA-1 by Soket: 26.3 Billion Parameters and 7.5 Trillion Training Tokens
Soket Labs Technology and Research Private Limited has developed EKA-1, an indigenous foundation model featuring 26.3 billion parameters and trained on approximately 7.5 trillion tokens.
Designed as an open, sparse hybrid language model, EKA-1 supports all 22 scheduled Indian languages alongside English. Its capabilities cover multiple applications, including mathematics, coding, reasoning and agentic use.
With its multilingual capabilities and large-scale architecture, EKA-1 is designed to support AI applications that require an understanding of India’s diverse linguistic landscape.
Speaking at the launch, Abhishek Upperwal, CEO, Soket Labs Technology and Research Private Limited, said, “With the support of the IndiaAI Mission, we have developed an advanced AI model specifically tailored to India’s unique banking, financial services and cybersecurity landscape.
It is designed to address sector-specific requirements, understand India’s evolving digital ecosystem, and deliver solutions aligned with the country’s needs and priorities.”
The model is intended to address requirements across India’s banking, financial services and cybersecurity sectors, with a focus on the country’s evolving digital ecosystem.
ZenteiQ Launches Dhīr 2B and Dhīr 5B Open-Source AI Models
Alongside EKA-1, ZenteiQ AiTech Innovations has introduced two open-source indigenous foundation models, Dhīr 2B and Dhīr 5B.
The models are designed as multilingual AI assistants that support English and 10 Indian languages. They can be deployed in secure, on-premise environments, making them suitable for organisations that require local AI deployment and greater control over their data.
Dhīr 2B and Dhīr 5B support offline-capable, document-grounded automation, knowledge retrieval and citizen or enterprise services.
The models are designed for applications across defence, government, industrial and educational sectors, particularly in environments with limited connectivity or sensitive data requirements.
Their deployment capabilities are intended to enable organisations to use AI without depending entirely on cloud-based infrastructure.
Prof. Sashikumar, CEO, ZenteiQ AiTech Innovations, said, “Models like Dhīr 2B and Dhīr 5B offer the flexibility to run across different computing platforms, including GPUs and TPUs.
Their lightweight architecture also enables on-device deployment on mobile phones, without dependence on cloud connectivity. This allows users to access AI capabilities locally while keeping data on their devices, enhancing privacy, security and accessibility.”
The lightweight architecture of Dhīr 2B and Dhīr 5B enables deployment across different computing platforms, including Graphics Processing Units (GPUs) and Tensor Processing Units (TPUs).
Their on-device capabilities also allow deployment on mobile phones without requiring continuous cloud connectivity.
IndiaAI Mission’s Role in Developing Indigenous Foundation Models
The development and release of EKA-1, Dhīr 2B and Dhīr 5B are part of the IndiaAI Mission‘s broader efforts to build an inclusive artificial intelligence ecosystem and strengthen India’s position in the global AI landscape.
Based on the Hon’ble Prime Minister’s vision to democratize the use of technology, India’s AI strategy aims to address India-centric challenges, create economic and employment opportunities for all Indians, and position the nation as a global leader in artificial intelligence.
Guided by the vision of “Making AI in India and Making AI Work for India”, the Union Cabinet approved the IndiaAI Mission on March 7, 2024.
The mission operates across seven key pillars to establish a robust and inclusive AI ecosystem aligned with India’s development goals.
These seven pillars are:
- IndiaAI Compute Capacity: Developing national AI computing infrastructure.
- IndiaAI Innovation Centre: Supporting the development of indigenous foundation models and AI capabilities.
- IndiaAI Datasets Platform (AIKosh): Providing access to datasets to support AI development and innovation.
- IndiaAI Application Development Initiative: Encouraging AI applications addressing India’s requirements.
- IndiaAI FutureSkills: Building AI skills and strengthening the talent ecosystem.
- IndiaAI Startup Financing: Supporting startups working in the AI ecosystem.
- Safe & Trusted AI: Promoting responsible and trustworthy AI development and deployment.
