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The AI Alliance has announced that BharatGen, India’s government backed artificial intelligence initiative, will anchor the country’s participation in Project Tapestry — a global consortium dedicated to building frontier AI through distributed collaboration. The development marks a significant step in India’s pursuit of self-reliant and inclusive artificial intelligence development.
What is Project Tapestry?
Project Tapestry is a multinational initiative that brings together nations, academic institutions, and industry partners to collectively develop next-generation AI models. The consortium is built on a foundational principle: that frontier AI can be developed collaboratively without centralising data ownership or control. Participating countries contribute data, expertise, and computing resources while retaining sovereignty over their own data, infrastructure, and deployments. Nations currently involved include the United States, France, Japan, Vietnam, Switzerland, and the United Arab Emirates.
India’s Role Through BharatGen
Developed by an IIT Bombay-led consortium and supported by the IndiaAI Mission, BharatGen joins Project Tapestry as a founding contributor. In this capacity, BharatGen will take on a leadership role in workstreams related to distributed model development, immediately co-leading efforts in distributed model training alongside global partners. The project received a further boost when BharatGen secured funding under the IndiaAI Mission to accelerate the development of homegrown foundation models and AI infrastructure.
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BharatGen’s Multilingual and Sectoral Scope
BharatGen is designed to support all 22 scheduled Indian languages and deliver AI applications across critical sectors including healthcare, education, governance, agriculture, law, and finance. The initiative is focused on creating indigenous foundation models tailored to India’s linguistic and cultural diversity.
A Commitment to Self Reliant AI
Shireesh Kedare, Director of IIT Bombay and Chairman of BharatGen, noted that India’s participation reflects the country’s commitment to building advanced AI systems rooted in local languages, knowledge systems, and national priorities. He added that BharatGen’s involvement as a founding contributor aligns with the broader vision of creating globally relevant yet locally grounded AI technologies.
Looking Ahead
Dr. Yann LeCun, Chief Science Advisor to the AI Alliance, described AI as a critical infrastructure layer for the future and emphasised the importance of ensuring that access to advanced AI development is not controlled by a handful of entities. For India, BharatGen’s role in Project Tapestry represents a significant step toward strengthening its position in the global AI ecosystem while advancing its vision of self-reliant and inclusive artificial intelligence development.
