India’s developer ecosystem poised for AI revolution, says Meta

India has a thriving developer ecosystem, and a growing talent pool, setting the stage for a revolution in AI-powered digital transformation, according to Meta, which hosted its ‘Build with AI Summit’ in Bengaluru. Its digital ecosystem can lead the charge in AI adoption and integration across sectors, with open-source models fuelling this evolution while enabling developers, educational institutions, government agencies, and enterprises to build cost-effective, scalable solutions tailored to India’s challenges.

Meta has also organised an AI Hackathon, which received over 1,500 registrations, more than 350 proposals, and over 90 participating teams. CurePharmaAI, CivicFix, and evAIssment emerged as winners, with a special mention to SheBuilds – an all-women team. Participants could also 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.

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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. India holds potential in shaping the future of AI in product development and cutting-edge research. With its rich talent pool and vibrant tech ecosystem, India is already making significant strides. The country’s contributions to AI 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, of 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 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 fuelling this transformation.”

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. For example, KissanAI has launched Dhenu Llama 3, an AI model tailored for Indian farmers. Built on Llama 3 8B architecture, it is optimised 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.

Government-citizen

Meta also 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 government-citizen communication. Additionally, in partnership with the Telangana State government, Llama models can enhance public service delivery, optimising processes for government departments and agencies.

The company 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.

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Initiatives like the Skill AI Chatbot, launched in partnership with the Ministry of Skill Development and Entrepreneurship (MSDE), ensure AI-driven education reaches the masses. The chatbot, available in multiple Indian languages, helps citizens access job listings, skilling centres, and learning resources.

Education focused

Meta’s open-source models are also used in education-focused initiatives such as Arivihan, a fully automated online learning platform. Powered by Llama models, Arivihan generates personalised lecture scripts and answers to over 100,000 student queries. Additionally, AI4Bharat and start-ups such as Sarvam AI are advancing AI for Indic languages, creating Hindi LLMs while operating under limited resources.

The Llama 3.1 Impact Grants, further support start-ups to create AI solutions. In 2023, Wadhwani AI, an Indian non-profit, was recognised as a global winner for its work on using Llama 3 to augment its AI-enabled oral reading fluency assessment solution to create personalised practice modules for students.

Nandan Nilekani, Co-Founder & Chairman, of Infosys and Founding Chairman, of UIDAI (Aadhaar), said, “With AI coming, it’s DPI to the power of AI. We believe AI will amplify everything we have done so far and promote inclusion. If a farmer in Orissa can speak in Oriya, through WhatsApp, or get the best knowledge, it changes inclusion dramatically. Or if we can have AI to figure out why a child is not learning to read certain languages, and can then help them to learn in the privacy of their application, you can change the reading abilities of 200 million children. That’s impact. We are focused on using this great technology. AI, which is there today, can solve today’s problems.”

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He added that with the multilingual capabilities of models in India, high-quality and accurate inferences can be achieved at low cost and on a population scale within the next 12 to 18 months.

Alongside, Meta has collaborated with companies like Infosys and PwC. Leveraging Meta’s Llama stack, Infosys is advancing AI adoption across industries and launching a Meta centre of excellence (COE).