The Indian government has eased the eligibility criteria for the procurement of 10,000 Graphics Processing Units (GPUs) under the IndiaAI mission. The Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY) has reduced the turnover requirement for bidding companies and adjusted the AI compute unit specifications.
These changes were made after companies raised concerns during a pre-bid meeting in September, saying that the initial tender terms were too restrictive for smaller businesses. The government has now revised the tender document to make it more inclusive and attract a wider range of bidders.
The IndiaAI mission is a government initiative aimed at promoting artificial intelligence (AI) research and development in India. The procurement of GPUs is a key part of this mission, as these powerful chips are essential for training and running AI models.
The easing of the eligibility criteria is expected to increase competition and drive down prices for GPUs. This will benefit Indian AI researchers and businesses, who will be able to access these critical resources at a lower cost.
The government is also taking steps to ensure that the GPUs are used for legitimate AI research and development purposes. It is working with academic institutions and industry partners to develop guidelines for the allocation and use of these resources.
The easing of the eligibility criteria is a positive development for the IndiaAI mission. It will make it easier for more Indian companies and researchers to participate in this important initiative.
