Ola, India’s prominent ride-hailing giant, has ventured into the realm of Artificial Intelligence (AI) with the introduction of Krutrim, a pioneering homegrown AI model in the country. Bhavish Aggarwal, the CEO of Ola, unveiled Krutrim during a live event, underscoring its local roots and foundation on Indian languages and data. In a strategic move, Ola aims to promote the adoption of indigenous AI solutions such as Krutrim over Western alternatives like ChatGPT and Google.
During the unveiling event, Aggarwal highlighted Krutrim’s user-friendly interface and simplicity, envisioning its potential to appeal to a diverse user base in India. The AI model boasts the capability to comprehend 20 Indian languages and generate content in 10 of them, including Marathi, Hindi, Telugu, Kannada, and Odia. Despite being in the beta phase currently, Ola envisions the development of an entire AI ecosystem encompassing an AI chip, a sustainable AI cloud, a family of AI models, and a user-facing application. The live demonstration showcased Krutrim’s prowess as an AI chatbot, efficiently handling simple requests such as crafting stories and poems.
Krutrim is offered in two versions, the basic iteration, and the Pro model, scheduled for release in the fourth quarter. Ola’s ambitious foray into AI aligns with the broader industry trend of major tech companies investing significantly in AI development. While the journey ahead necessitates substantial investment, Ola aims to position itself as a pivotal contributor to shaping India’s AI strategy, aligning with government aspirations in the sector.
Although Krutrim is currently in its early developmental stages, its potential to revolutionize AI usage in India is noteworthy. The models developed have the capacity to power an array of applications, with potential use cases in customer service, education, healthcare, and more. Ola envisions Krutrim as a pivotal component in fostering an AI ecosystem that is not only innovative but also accessible and affordable for businesses and individuals across the nation.
Key Features of Krutrim:
Multilingual Capability: Krutrim demonstrates proficiency in understanding and generating text in 20 Indian languages, including Hindi, Marathi, Telugu, Kannada, and Odia.
Large Language Model: Krutrim stands out as a substantial language model trained on an extensive dataset of text and code. This empowers the model to generate text that is both creative and informative, surpassing the capabilities of smaller models.
Open Source Nature: Krutrim operates on an open-source framework, making it available for use or modification by anyone. This open-source approach is poised to expedite the growth and development of AI in the Indian landscape.
As Krutrim continues its evolution, it holds the potential to emerge as a pivotal player in the Indian AI market. The models it incorporates have the capacity to fuel diverse applications, contributing to the broader objective of making AI more accessible and cost-effective for businesses and individuals nationwide.
In conclusion, Ola’s foray into AI with Krutrim signifies a significant stride towards indigenous technological innovation in India. With its emphasis on local languages and data, coupled with an expansive vision for an AI ecosystem, Ola is poised to play a defining role in shaping the future of AI in the country. As Krutrim progresses towards maturity, its impact on diverse sectors and its potential to democratize AI usage could usher in a new era of technological advancement in India.
