India’s Sarvam launches Indus AI chat app as competition heats up

Source: TechCrunch

Launch and Market Context

The launch comes as India has become a key battleground for generative AI adoption. Recently, OpenAI CEO Sam Altman said ChatGPT has more than 100 million weekly active users in India, while Anthropic reported that India accounts for 5.8 % of total Claude usage, second only to the U.S.

Model and Partnerships

Indus serves as a chat interface for Sarvam’s newly announced Sarvam 105B model, a 105‑billion‑parameter large language model. The app’s launch follows the unveiling of Sarvam’s 105B and 30B models at the India AI Impact Summit in New Delhi earlier this week. At the summit, the startup also outlined enterprise initiatives, hardware plans, and announced partnerships with companies including HMD to bring AI to Nokia feature phones and Bosch for AI‑enabled automotive applications.

Availability and Features

Indus is currently available in beta on:

• iOS – App Store
• Android – Google Play
• Web – indus.sarvam.ai

The app allows users to type or speak queries and receive responses in text and audio. Sign‑in options include phone number, Google account, or Apple ID. Service availability appears limited to India for now.

Image credit: Jagmeet Singh / TechCrunch

Limitations

• Users cannot delete individual chat history without deleting their entire account.
• There is no option to turn off the app’s reasoning feature, which can sometimes slow response times.
• Access may be restricted as Sarvam gradually expands its compute capacity.

“We’re gradually rolling out Indus on a limited compute capacity, so you may hit a waitlist at first. We will expand access over time,” Sarvam co‑founder Pratyush Kumar wrote on X, adding that the company is seeking feedback from users. (source)

Company Background

Founded in 2023, Sarvam has raised $41 million to date from investors including Lightspeed Venture Partners, Peak XV Partners, and Khosla Ventures. The startup is part of a small but growing group of Indian companies building domestic alternatives to global AI platforms as India seeks greater control over its AI infrastructure.