$1/hour for cutting-edge GPU access? IndiaAI mission makes it possible
What's the story
India's Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY) has awarded artificial intelligence projects to three companies under the IndiaAI Mission.
The task has been entrusted to Yotta Data Services from Hiranandani Group, E2E Networks, and NxtGen Cloud Technologies.
These companies will supply AI compute units at subsidized rates to start-ups, academic institutions, as well as organizations chosen by the ministry.
Subsidized rates
Unmatched global GPU usage rate
The IndiaAI Mission promises the world's lowest GPU usage rate, under $1 per hour.
The move comes amid the ongoing global chip shortage and rising demand for AI capabilities.
Though the government has not yet revealed which organizations will be benefitting from this program, it hopes to make AI resources more accessible across sectors.
Information
Other bidders remain unresponsive
The other three lowest bidders, Jio Platforms, Locuz Enterprise Solutions, and CtrlS Datacenters have not commented on when they will integrate with the portal. AI projects can only be assigned once service providers have procured the GPUs themselves and integrated with the project.
GPU commitment
GPU supply and integration with IndiaAI Compute Portal
E2E Networks and NxtGen Cloud Technologies were the lowest bidders in their respective categories for providing GPUs. Yotta Data Services was the second.
These companies are the only ones integrated with the government-run IndiaAI Compute Portal at the moment.
Yotta has promised to supply 9,216 GPUs, E2E Networks will provide 1,353 GPUs, while NxtGen will offer 1,088 GPUs.
Future plans
IndiaAI mission's ambitious GPU procurement target
The IndiaAI Mission was officially launched in January with an ambitious plan to offer nearly 15,000 GPUs.
Under this mission, the government has received commitments for 18,693 GPUs, exceeding its initial target. It is also planning a second round of procurement for another 15,000 GPUs.
The initiative is aimed at bolstering India's AI capabilities amid global chip shortages and rising demand.