Krutrim, Bhavish Aggarwal’s ‘Made for India’ AI: India’s First Unicorn AI Startup

In the heart of India's bustling tech scene, OLA co-founder Bhavish Aggarwal has unveiled a bold ambition: Krutrim AI, a "Made for India" rival to global behemoths like ChatGPT and Google's Bard. Touted as the first full-stack AI model designed with Indian sensibilities in mind, Krutrim promises to revolutionize how Indians interact with technology, breaking down the linguistic and cultural barriers that often isolate them from cutting-edge advancements.

In a lightning-fast move, Krutrim has secured $50 million in funding, propelling it to a stunning $1 billion valuation. This meteoric rise makes Krutrim not only the first unicorn of 2024 in India but also the country's fastest startup ever to reach this coveted milestone, achieving it within a month of launching its large language model. Celebrating the major milestone, the company recently revealed it has ascended to unicorn status after securing $50 million in a funding round backed by top-tier investors like Matrix Partners India.

Krutrim's achievement marks a watershed moment for India's burgeoning AI scene. It's a testament to the country's burgeoning talent and Aggarwal's visionary leadership. With its cutting-edge technology and ambitious goals, Krutrim is poised to disrupt the landscape and redefine the future of AI in India.

Revolutionizing Tech for India, One “Sensibility” at a Time
Features of Krutrim AI

• Multilingual Mastery
• Local Knowledge, Global Insights
• Cost-Effectiveness for India

Bhavish Aggarwal: From IIT Prodigy to 'Made for India' AI

Revolutionizing Tech for India, One “Sensibility” at a Time

Forget global giants! Krutrim AI rises as a formidable homegrown force, tailor-made for the Indian experience. Touted as the first AI model to truly understand the pulse of India, Krutrim promises a seismic shift in how Indians interact with technology. No more linguistic or cultural roadblocks; Krutrim bridges the gap between cutting-edge advancements and everyday Indian life.

Imagine a world where your chatbot speaks fluent Hinglish, not just textbook English. Where legal documents sing in Telugu, not sterile legalese. Where social media posts crack witty jokes in Malayalam, not just bland memes. This is the world Krutrim envisions, and it's closer than you think.

Features of Krutrim AI

Krutrim boasts several unique features that distinguish it from its global counterparts:

Multilingual Mastery

Krutrim is a far cry from the English-dominated world of most AI models, empowering millions of Indians who prefer to interact with technology in their native tongue. Bhavish Aggarwal has announced that Krutrim, can comprehend 22 Indian languages and generate content in approximately 10, including Marathi, Hindi, Bengali, Tamil, Kannada, Telugu, Odia, Gujarati, and Malayalam. Trained on over two trillion tokens of data specific to Indian languages, the Krutrim team is spread across India and the Bay Area in the US.

Local Knowledge, Global Insights

Trained on a massive dataset of over 2 trillion tokens specifically curated for the Indian context, Krutrim exhibits an uncanny understanding of Indian culture, geography, and history. This makes it adept at generating content that resonates with Indian audiences, from witty social media posts to insightful legal documents.

Cost-Effectiveness for India

Designed for the realities of the Indian market, Krutrim aims to be more affordable than its global competitors. This opens up opportunities for smaller businesses and startups to leverage the power of AI without breaking the bank.

"The model may be the soul of our work, but the infrastructure and the silicon are the body," stated Aggarwal, emphasizing Krutrim's ambition to go beyond just software. The company is building a robust tech ecosystem to support Krutrim's deployment across various sectors, including education, healthcare, and customer service.

Experts like Vijay Anand, CEO of CNBC TV18, have hailed Krutrim as a "potentially game-changing step for India's AI landscape." He cites the model's focus on inclusivity and affordability as key factors that could propel India into the forefront of AI development.

While Krutrim has only just begun its journey, the early signs are promising. The model has already garnered interest from various industry players, with potential applications ranging from generating personalized learning materials for rural students to creating culturally sensitive chatbots for customer service.

Sign-ups for Krutrim's initial version are now open, with a staged rollout planned over the coming months. Full public access is slated for January 2024, while developers can utilize Krutrim APIs starting February 2024.

OLA's various companies are already utilizing Krutrim for internal tasks such as customer support, voice and chat, and customer sales calls. In addition to Krutrim, OLA plans to launch a supercomputer within the next two years and is developing AI infrastructure for indigenous data centers, server-computing, edge-computing, and supercomputers, with prototypes expected by mid-2024 and a production roadmap by the end of 2025. Executives claim that Krutrim surpasses OpenAI's GPT-4 in Indian languages and outperforms Meta's Llama 2 chat in English, positioning it behind GPT-4, Google's Bard, and Gemini. Operating in various modes, including text and voice, Krutrim will be available for both consumer and enterprise usage in the future. 

Of course, challenges lie ahead. Concerns about potential biases and ethical considerations in AI development must be addressed carefully. Additionally, Krutrim needs to prove its practical effectiveness in real-world scenarios and compete with established players in the market.

But Bhavish Aggarwal remains undeterred. "Krutrim is not just an AI model," he asserts, "it's a symbol of India's aspirations to take its rightful place in the global tech revolution."

Whether Krutrim lives up to this lofty ambition remains to be seen, but its arrival undoubtedly marks a significant step towards a more inclusive and accessible future for AI in India.

Bhavish Aggarwal: From IIT Prodigy to 'Made for India' AI

Bhavish Aggarwal, the co-founder and CEO of OLA, has evolved from an IIT Bombay graduate to a key figure in India's tech and transportation sector. After showcasing mathematical brilliance at IIT, he ventured into entrepreneurship, co-founding a mobile gaming company. Despite a successful stint at Microsoft, Bhavish followed his dream to disrupt India's transportation, leading to the birth of OLA in 2011. OLA has expanded beyond cabs, offering auto rickshaws, shared rides, and more. Bhavish's vision extends to OLA Electric, OLA Sky, and financial services with OLA Money, aiming to create a comprehensive "mobility operating system." Known for his vision, resilience, and adaptability, Bhavish navigates challenges and controversies, inspiring aspiring entrepreneurs with his commitment to innovation and redefining mobility.

Aggarwal emphasizes that Krutrim is a distinct entity, not a subsidiary of OLA Cabs or OLA Electric, but collaborative opportunities exist for data sharing and usage.

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StartupTalkyShubham Kumar