India, March 19 -- There is no better time to talk about India's quest to create its large language models (LLMs), especially when the world is being dominated by names like GPT-4, Llama, Gork, Gemini, et al. Well, let's also not forget DeepSeek. Developed with a lean budget of less than $6 Mn, the AI model has ruffled the feathers of many tech giants worldwide.

Now, as far as India is concerned, we are at a crossroads. While VCs and other investors can be seen distancing themselves from foundational models to focus more on building atop the existing ones, the government is advocating the development, control, and deployment of AI using its own infrastructure, data, workforce, and business networks.

Given the capital-intensive nature of...