Parliament Question: Access of GPUs under the IndiaAI Compute Portal

GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF ELECTRONICS AND INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 1812 TO BE ANSWERED ON: 29.07.2026 ACCESS OF GPUS UNDER THE INDIAAI COMPUTE PORTAL 1812. SHRI SRIBHARAT MATHUKUMILLI: Will the Minister of ELECTRONICS AND INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY be pleased to state: (a) whether the Government tracks the number of GPUs under the IndiaAI Compute Portal have been accessed by startups, MSMEs and researchers in each State; (b) if so, the details of the top ten States and districts and if not, the reasons therefor and the time by which it is likely to be released; (c) whether the Government has looked into IISc-FSID CORE's finding that GPU access favours applicants who are better at writing proposals and the details of action, if any, is planned to fix this for smaller and newer applicants; and (d) whether any central funds or schemes have gone into the upcoming Visakhapatnam AI hub and whether the Centre plans any rule requiring large private AI-compute investments to set aside capacity for Indian public research and if so, the details thereof? ANSWER MINISTER OF STATE FOR ELECTRONICS AND INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY (SHRI JITIN PRASADA) (a) to (c): India's AI policy is based on Prime Minister Narendra Modi's vision of democratizing technology. It is aimed at creating economic opportunities and employment for youth, while addressing risks associated with AI. India's AI strategy builds on India's vibrant IT sector with annual revenue of 300 billion dollars and 60 Lakh strong workforce. IndiaAI Mission has seven pillars including development of AI models, applications, datasets, talent development and affordable compute. IndiaAI Compute Pillar: Through the IndiaAI Mission, India is strengthening its sovereign AI capabilities by building domestic AI compute infrastructure. IndiaAI Compute Pillar aims to establish a scalable, accessible and sovereign AI computing ecosystem, to serve startups, MSMEs, researchers, academia, Government entities and public- sector organizations. Affordable compute: ● Compute Service Providers (CSPs) empaneled: 15, over four rounds of empanelment, comprising both high-end and mid-tier GPUs. ● Number of end-users approved for subsidized compute support: 237, with approximately 93.18 lakh GPU hours sanctioned across Government entities, startups and MSMEs, researchers, academic institutions, IndiaAI Fellows and students. ● Through demand aggregation and competitive price discovery, compute rates have been secured significantly below prevailing market prices. With subsidies of up to 40% for eligible users, GPU access is available at rates of less than USD 1 per hour. ● The IndiaAI Compute Portal (https://compute.indiaai.gov.in) has been operationalized as a single-window platform for discovery, request and access to compute resources, along with published ready reckoners and Standard Operating Procedures for billing and utilization.● In addition, a High-Performance AI Compute System of approximately 1.1 EFLOPS is being established at the NIC Data Centre, Shastri Park, Delhi, to further strengthen India's sovereign AI infrastructure and reduce dependence on foreign compute resources. Details of approved projects, including compute allocations, service providers and subsidies sanctioned, are available on the Compute Portal (https://compute.indiaai.gov.in) to ensure transparency. However, State-wise and district-wise allocation data is not centrally maintained, as the innovation ecosystem comprising startups, MSMEs and researchers supported under the Mission is distributed across the country and applications are assessed on a project basis rather than a geographic basis. IndiaAI has notified an End User Policy governing access to GPU resources and subsidy allocation, which defines the eligibility criteria for end-users and the methodology for accessing empaneled AI services at discounted rates. The Government keeps the application and allocation process under continuous review, including outreach and handholding support for first-time and early-stage applicants, with a view to promoting equitable access for smaller and newer entities across the ecosystem. (d): The Government is cognizant of the significant private-sector interest in Andhra Pradesh's AI ecosystem, including the announced AI Hub coming up at Visakhapatnam, which represents a private investment and has not been funded through the IndiaAI Mission or any other central scheme. ******