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GPU Shortage, Not Funds, Chokes India's AI Dreams: Raghav Chadha in RS

AAP MP Raghav Chadha raised concerns in the Rajya Sabha that a severe shortage of GPUs, not a lack of funds or talent, is the major bottleneck for India's AI ambitions. He noted India's current pool of about 34,000 GPUs is very small for developing cutting-edge AI systems. In response, Minister Jitendra Singh detailed the IndiaAI Mission's compute pillar, which provides subsidised access to high-end computing and encourages private investment. The government expressed confidence that these measures will help India catch up to global AI standards.

Key Points: GPU Shortage Hinders India's AI Ambitions, Say MPs

  • GPU cost & supply chain crisis limits AI growth
  • India's 34,000 GPU pool deemed insufficient
  • IndiaAI Mission has dedicated compute pillar
  • Govt facilitating private sector investment
  • Goal is achieving global AI leadership
2 min read

GPU shortage, not lack of funds or talent, choking India's AI dreams: Raghav Chadha raises concerns in RS

AAP's Raghav Chadha highlights GPU scarcity as key AI bottleneck in Rajya Sabha. Govt outlines IndiaAI Mission's compute pillar to address the crisis.

"The primary constraint is not funding, capital, or talent but the availability of computational resources, particularly Graphics Processing Units or GPUs. - Raghav Chadha"

New Delhi, Feb 5

Aam Aadmi Party MP Raghav Chadha highlighted the critical bottleneck hindering India's ambitions in Artificial Intelligence in the Rajya Sabha on Thursday, stressing that the primary constraint is not funding, capital, or talent but the availability of computational resources, particularly Graphics Processing Units or GPUs.

Chadha pointed out that rising GPU costs and global supply chain disruptions are severely limiting India's data centre expansion and efforts to train advanced AI models.

He noted that India's current pool of GPUs stands at approximately 34,000, a figure he described as very small compared to the scale required globally for developing cutting-edge AI systems.

Through the Chair, he sought specific details from the Minister of State for Science and Technology on the targets, timelines, and geopolitical engagements initiated by the government to ensure predictable and secure access to these vital computational resources.

In his response, Minister of State for Science and Technology (independent charge) Jitendra Singh acknowledged the concern as widely recognised, stating that GPUs form the core of AI development and related activities.

He explained that under the IndiaAI Mission, compute has been designated as a dedicated vertical or pillar due to its paramount importance. This pillar provides access to high-end computing services through empanelled providers, offering eligible users discounts of up to 40 per cent on costs.

For larger models requiring substantial compute, such as those with 30 billion or 65 billion parameters, access is also being facilitated from additional sources.

Singh affirmed that the government remains fully aware of the challenges and is actively addressing them. He highlighted a key initiative where the private sector has been opened up to encourage investments from non-governmental entities.

The minister mentioned that only the previous day, the first call for proposals under this approach had been launched to catalyse private projects.

The minister expressed confidence that these steps, combined with ongoing efforts, would enable India to catch up to global standards, with no compromise on the goal of achieving leadership in AI.

- IANS

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Reader Comments

P
Priya S
This is a wake-up call. 34,000 GPUs for the entire country? That's shockingly low. We're trying to build a digital economy on a shaky foundation. The government's plan to involve the private sector is the only way forward. Hope they move fast.
R
Rohit P
Good that Chadha raised this. But respectfully, the Minister's response felt like a repeat of old announcements. "Access is being facilitated" is vague. We need clear numbers, deadlines, and a war-room mentality. China isn't waiting for us to figure this out.
S
Sarah B
Working in a Bangalore tech firm, I see this daily. Project timelines are getting pushed because we can't get enough compute time on the cloud. The discount helps, but the raw availability is the core problem. Glad it's being discussed in Parliament.
V
Vikram M
We need to think long-term. Relying on imports for such a critical resource is a national security risk. The IndiaAI Mission must have a parallel track to fund R&D for our own chips, even if it takes 10 years. Atmanirbharta in tech is non-negotiable.
K
Karthik V
It's not just about buying GPUs. The electricity and cooling for data centres is another huge challenge, especially in our summers. The solution has to be holistic - power, infrastructure, and hardware. A complex but necessary puzzle to solve.

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