- The IndiaAI Mission released India's first indigenous foundational AI models: EKA-1 by Soket, and Dhīr 2B & Dhīr 5B by ZenteiQ. - These models were launched under the IndiaAI Innovation Centre (IAIC) pillar, aimed at fostering indigenous AI research and sovereign computing capabilities. - The initiative seeks to reduce dependence on foreign AI architectures, address regional and linguistic diversity, and support local data sovereignty. - The IndiaAI Mission coordinates efforts across compute capacity, innovation, datasets, and safe and trusted AI deployment. - **IndiaAI Mission:** A comprehensive national initiative by the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY) with a ₹10,371.92 crore outlay to build domestic AI compute infrastructure, foster indigenous foundation models, and establish India as a global AI hub. - **IndiaAI Innovation Centre:** A key foundational pillar of the IndiaAI Mission dedicated to the research, creation, and deployment of indigenous Large Multimodal Models (LMMs) and domain-specific foundation models tailored for Indian languages and strategic sectors. - **Soket Labs:** An Indian startup that developed EKA-1, a 26.3-billion parameter open sparse hybrid indigenous foundation model designed for advanced reasoning, coding, math, and support for Indian and international languages. - **ZenteiQ AI:** An Indian tech firm that created Dhīr 2B and Dhīr 5B, lightweight, mobile-friendly mixture-of-experts foundation models designed to operate offline in air-gapped and low-connectivity environments. - **Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY):** The nodal Union ministry responsible for formulating policies related to information technology, electronics, and internet diffusion, anchoring major national initiatives like the IndiaAI Mission. **Introduction** Under the IndiaAI Mission's Innovation Centre pillar, India has launched its first indigenous foundation models—EKA-1, Dhīr 2B, and Dhīr 5B. Developed by domestic startups Soket and ZenteiQ, these models are designed to bolster India's technological sovereignty, cater to linguistic needs, and drive local AI research. **Core Issue and Detailed Points** - The IndiaAI Mission released India's first indigenous foundational AI models: EKA-1 by Soket, and Dhīr 2B & Dhīr 5B by ZenteiQ. - These models were launched under the IndiaAI Innovation Centre (IAIC) pillar, aimed at fostering indigenous AI research and sovereign computing capabilities. - The initiative seeks to reduce dependence on foreign AI architectures, address regional and linguistic diversity, and support local data sovereignty. - The IndiaAI Mission coordinates efforts across compute capacity, innovation, datasets, and safe and trusted AI deployment. **Key Statutory Bodies, Acts & Concepts** - **IndiaAI Mission:** A comprehensive national initiative by the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY) with a ₹10,371.92 crore outlay to build domestic AI compute infrastructure, foster indigenous foundation models, and establish India as a global AI hub. - **IndiaAI Innovation Centre:** A key foundational pillar of the IndiaAI Mission dedicated to the research, creation, and deployment of indigenous Large Multimodal Models (LMMs) and domain-specific foundation models tailored for Indian languages and strategic sectors. - **Soket Labs:** An Indian startup that developed EKA-1, a 26.3-billion parameter open sparse hybrid indigenous foundation model designed for advanced reasoning, coding, math, and support for Indian and international languages. - **ZenteiQ AI:** An Indian tech firm that created Dhīr 2B and Dhīr 5B, lightweight, mobile-friendly mixture-of-experts foundation models designed to operate offline in air-gapped and low-connectivity environments. - **Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY):** The nodal Union ministry responsible for formulating policies related to information technology, electronics, and internet diffusion, anchoring major national initiatives like the IndiaAI Mission.