Govt Assigns AI Workloads To Yotta, NxtGen & E2E: Report

The Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY) has reportedly assigned artificial intelligence projects to three companies, offering graphics processing units (GPUs) under the IndiaAI Mission.

The companies include Hiranandani Group’s Yotta Data Services, E2E Networks and NxtGen Cloud Technologies, ET reported.

These entities will supply AI compute units to startups, academic institutions and organisations selected by the ministry for access to GPUs at a subsidised rate.

The subsidised rate being offered under IndiaAI, less than $1 per hour, is the lowest in the world. However, the government has not named the beneficiaries of the programme.

This comes at the heart of reports saying that MeitY is looking to offer incentives to startups such as Sarvam AI, Soket AI Labs, Gnani.ai and Gan.ai to build frontier AI models, while Sarvam AI is also likely to receive GPU compute power worth INR 200 Cr from the Centre for free.

Notably, the report disclosed that E2E Networks and NxtGen were the lowest (L1) bidders in the categories where they offered to supply GPUs, Yotta stood second from the last.

Only these three companies have integrated with the IndiaAI Compute Portal of the government, the report said citing sources.

Yotta has offered to supply 9,216 GPUs, while E2E offered 1,353 GPUs and NxtGen, 1,088 GPUs, respectively.

Meanwhile, companies such as Reliance Jio and CtrlS, also emerged as the lowest price (L1) bidders in the tender for sourcing graphics processing units (GPUs).

With the bids received until April, ten tech companies including the aforementioned companies have offered 14,517 GPUs at L1 rates against the tender for 10,000 GPUs. 

Last October, the government selected eight strategic projects as part of the IndiaAI Mission, to promote responsible development, deployment and adoption of AI in the country.