AI Kosh - India
Recently, I stumbled across India’s data initiative for AI, AI Kosh. It is proposed as the “central nervous system” of the IndiaAI Mission: a national library of non-personal Indian datasets, a try-before-you-buy model sets, and subsidised GPU compute into one platform.
A bold vision, but it is still very early. The site still feels like a work-in-progress; most pages are thin, a mandatory sign-in is required, and discoverability is still evolving.
“AI Kosh is a unified hub where startups, researchers, and developers can discover, access, and integrate high-quality, India-relevant datasets, models, toolkits, and an in-browser sandbox.”
Quite a few interesting datasets are already available.
- Expression-of-Interest (EOI). Any accredited organisation can submit non-personal, anonymised datasets, models, or use-cases, retaining control over licensing tiers (open, registered, or restricted).
- Academic Heavy-Hitters. IIT-Bombay alone has uploaded over 30+ artefacts, including a 2.18-lakh-sentence corpus that simplifies classical Sanskrit, astronomy, and medicine texts dating back 18 centuries.
- Responsible-AI Toolkits. Four bias-mitigation and risk-assessment solutions developed under the Safe & Trusted AI pillar will go live soon.
I also saw benefits galore.
- Subsidised GPU Hours. The companion Compute Portal offers 40% discounted access to H100, MI300X, and Gaudi-2 GPUs under long-term empanelment contracts.
- Startup on-ramp. 60+startups have already applied for subsidised compute; three to five will be fast-tracked, paying just about ₹60 (sub-dollar) per GPU-hour.
- Road to Sovereignty. The government is working with industry to build indigenous GPUs within three to four years, reinforcing compute self-reliance.
AI Kosh is definitely a step forward for an inclusive, and responsible AI infrastructure for India.