The Ministry of Electronics and IT (Meity) is gearing up to seek cabinet approval for the India AI program, a transformative initiative set to redefine the country’s computing landscape. The program, with an estimated investment exceeding Rs 10,000 crore, is poised to bring about groundbreaking advancements in Artificial Intelligence (AI) technology.
Three-Tier Compute Infrastructure
Working groups convened by the government on AI have proposed the establishment of a robust three-tier compute infrastructure, encompassing 24,500 Graphics Processing Units (GPUs). Minister of Electronics and IT, Rajeev Chandrasekhar, revealed that the proposal, including the deployment of GPU-based servers, will undergo cabinet scrutiny.
Public-Private Partnership for AI
Chandrasekhar highlighted that the India AI program will be executed through a public-private partnership. This approach aims to build computing infrastructure capacity across both private data centres and those operated by the public firm CDAC, reinforcing the collaborative nature of the initiative.
Addressing GPU Demand
The surge in demand for GPU-based servers, known for their accelerated data processing capabilities compared to CPU-based servers, underscores the urgency of India’s AI program. Currently, the United States and China lead in computing infrastructure for AI development.
India’s Ascent in Supercomputing
As of November 2022, China boasts 162 supercomputers, the US follows with 127, and India has three, according to the Top 500 list. To bridge this gap, the AI working groups recommend the establishment of best-in-class AI computing infrastructure at five locations, providing 3,000 AI Petaflops computing power—15 times more than the current capacity.
NVIDIA Dominance and Global Demand
Industry estimates reveal that NVIDIA holds an 88% market share in the GPU market, but there is a significant lag in obtaining GPUs due to overwhelming global demand. This underscores the need for India to strategically position itself in the AI technology race.
Synopsys and India’s Tech Ecosystem
On a different note, Minister Chandrasekhar, while inaugurating Synopsys’ Chip Design Centre, acknowledged the company’s role in propelling India’s tech and digital ecosystem. Synopsys, with its second-largest design centre in Noida, contributes significantly to innovation in electronics and semiconductors, aligning with India’s ambition to catch up on lost time in these domains.
As the India AI program awaits cabinet approval, the nation stands at the cusp of a transformative era in AI technology, promising not only to address computing disparities but also to position India as a formidable player in the global AI landscape.
