Building India’s AI Ecosystem Through Open-Source Innovation

As AI continues to transform industries across the globe, open-source technology is a catalyst for innovation. This mission is particularly significant in India, where a thriving developer ecosystem, combined with a rapidly growing talent pool, is setting the stage for a revolution in AI-powered digital transformation. Today, as we host the Build with AI Summit in Bengaluru, we recognize the immense potential of the country’s digital ecosystem, which is poised to lead the charge in AI adoption and integration across sectors. Open-source models will fuel this evolution while also enabling developers, educational institutions, government agencies and enterprises to build cost-effective, scalable solutions tailored to India’s unique challenges.

As a lead up to the Build with AI Summit, we organized an AI Hackathon to empower developers and propel the future of innovation using Meta Llama's open platform. With over 1,500+ registrations, more than 350 proposals and 90+ participating teams, CurePharmaAI, CivicFix, and evAIssment emerged as winners, with a special mention to SheBuilds – an all-women team. Participants also had the chance to submit their proposals for the Llama Impact Grants, with potential funding of up to $100K and $500K, under the regional track and global track respectively.

Yann LeCun, VP and Chief AI Scientist at Meta said, “Meta's vision for AI is deeply intertwined with the principles of open-source, allowing us to tap into a global pool of creativity and innovation. From inference optimization to advancements in natural language processing, the open-source community consistently surprises us with breakthroughs. Our hope is to build AI systems that not only empower individuals but also drive societal transformation, creating a shared AI infrastructure that reflects the world’s diversity in languages, cultures, and values.

India holds immense potential in shaping the future of AI, not just in product development but also in cutting-edge research. With its rich talent pool and vibrant tech ecosystem, India is already making significant strides. The country's contributions to AI, particularly in areas like natural language understanding, are vital for advancing technologies that can serve diverse populations. As AI continues to evolve, India is poised to play a pivotal role in driving innovation on a global scale.”

Sandhya Devanathan, Vice President and Head, Meta India added, “At Meta, we believe in India's potential to lead the way in AI, just as it did with mobile internet. We’re deeply intertwined with India’s growth story, from partnering with government agencies to enabling millions of small businesses to scale. AI’s breakthroughs are giving us the tools to solve problems once thought impossible, and India’s readiness to embrace open-source AI is fueling this transformation. With our Llama models and AI assistants like Meta AI, we’re confident India will be at the forefront of this AI revolution, driving growth, innovation, and digital transformation across industries.”

Democratizing Access to AI models

Meta’s open-source AI models, such as Llama 3.1, provide Indian developers with the tools to create AI solutions that address local challenges across sectors like healthcare, agriculture, and governance. By democratizing access to AI models, we are empowering developers to craft customized solutions, making technology more accessible and adaptable to India’s diverse needs.

Take for example, KissanAI that has launched Dhenu Llama 3, an AI model tailored for Indian farmers. Built on Llama 3 8B architecture, it is optimized for agricultural tasks and supports voice and text inputs. It is integrated with WhatsApp, accessible across India and is available in 22 languages, including 9 Indian languages.

Strengthening Government Services

Our ongoing work with government agencies amplifies how open-source AI can be tailored to enhance governance, ensuring efficiency of public services and citizen needs.

We have recently partnered with the Andhra Pradesh state government to enhance public service delivery using Meta’s WhatsApp Business Solution and open-source gen AI like Llama to provide citizen-centric services via WhatsApp, enabling seamless government-citizen communication. Additionally, in partnership with the Telangana state government, Llama models are being used to enhance public service delivery, optimizing processes for government departments and agencies.

We also collaborated with IndiaAI and the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY) last year to advance AI research and development, and with NLSIU and IIT Bombay on a project with the Department of Consumer Affairs (DoCA) to leverage LLMs for legal reforms, building a citizen-centric chatbot and decision-assist tools for consumer law.

Transforming Education and Skilling

In a country with a rapidly growing youth population, education and skilling are key to unlocking India’s potential in the global economy. Initiatives like the Skill AI Chatbot, launched in partnership with the Ministry of Skill Development and Entrepreneurship (MSDE), are ensuring that AI-driven education reaches the masses. The chatbot, available in multiple Indian languages, helps citizens access job listings, skilling centers, and learning resources.

Our open-source models are also being used in education-focused initiatives such as Arivihan, India’s first fully automated online learning platform. Powered by Llama models, Arivihan generates personalized lecture scripts and answers to over 100,000 student queries, democratizing high-quality education at scale. Additionally, AI4Bharat and startups such as Sarvam AI are advancing AI for Indic languages, creating Hindi LLMs while operating under limited resources. By making educational resources accessible in Indic languages, students, particularly those in rural areas, are not limited by language barriers, while empowering millions to engage with AI tools in their native languages.

The Llama 3.1 Impact Grants, further supports startups in creating economically and socially impactful AI solutions. In 2023, Wadhwani AI, an Indian non-profit, was recognized as one of the global winners for its work on using Llama 3 to augment its AI-enabled oral reading fluency assessment solution to create personalized practice modules for students.

Empowering Indian Enterprises

Enterprises in India, from startups to large corporations, are increasingly turning to AI to optimize their operations, improve customer engagement, and drive business growth. AI models are playing a critical role in this transformation by providing businesses with customizable tools that can be adapted to their specific needs, enabling them to compete on a global scale.

Our collaborations with leading Indian companies like Infosys and PwC India demonstrates how open-source AI is being scaled for enterprise solutions. Leveraging Meta’s Llama stack, Infosys is advancing AI adoption across industries and launching a Meta center of excellence (COE) to accelerate enterprise AI integration and foster talent to create industry-specific use cases, and promote open-source contributions. As an early adopter of Llama 3.1 and 3.2 models, Infosys is integrating them with its Topaz platform to offer AI-powered solutions, such as a Llama-powered document assistant.

As Artificial Intelligence continues to reshape industries and economies worldwide, India is uniquely positioned to lead this transformation. By fostering a collaborative ecosystem of innovation, our AI-driven solutions are accessible, inclusive, and adaptable to the country’s diverse needs. Meta remains committed to supporting India's journey as a global AI powerhouse, while continuing to partner with governments and stakeholders to create an equitable ecosystem towards solutions that drive progress, prosperity, and inclusivity for all. 

Photo Captain:  (L-R) Tanuj Bhojwani, Head, People + AI; Yann LeCun, Meta's VP & Chief AI Scientist; and  Nandan Nilekani, Non-Executive Chairperson at Infosys at a panel on ‘Culture of Open Science in democratizing AI’ at the ‘Build with AI Summit’