Building LLMs: a strategic necessity

TO ENSURE LONG-TERM RESILIENCE, IT IS IMPORTANT FOR INDIA TO TRAIN ITS OWN LLMs

- AMITH SINGHEE

Should India build its own large language models (LLMs) or adapt existing ones? This debate is more than academic—it strikes at the heart of India's digital future. Some argue that homegrown LLMs are vital to serve India's unique linguistic and cultural diversity, while others see greater value in leveraging established models to save time and resources. But framing this as an either-or question misses the point entirely.

The real issue is strategic autonomy. Just as India's decision to develop indigenous supercomputers bolstered innovation and reduced reliance on foreign technology, mastering LLMs is not a luxury—it is a necessity. In an increasingly digital world, self-reliance in critical technologies is not optional; it is the foundation of sovereignty and progress.

Get the ball rolling Numerous applications for developing LLMs will emerge, and we must leverage internationally available technologies and methodologies to build our own models, rather than waiting for proprietary technologies. Existing large models based on Generative Pre-trained Transformer (GPT) and techniques like Self-Supervised Learning are readily accessible and can be implemented to advance our efforts.