DeepSeek is a wake-up call for India to build local LLMs and AI chips: Dr. Ajai Chowdhry

In the wake of DeepSeek’s emergence, Dr. Ajai Chowdhary, Founder of HCL and Chairman of the EPIC Foundation, has raised concerns over the rapid ascent of the AI powerhouse, calling it a “wake-up call” for India. He emphasized the need for the country to adopt an “emergency-like” focus to stay competitive in AI.

“If DeepSeek can create an LLM in two years, why can’t India do it?” he told CNBC.

The company has dramatically reshaped global perspectives on AI and in terms of investment and technology. In just a short span, it has demonstrated how existing models like ChatGPT, Gemini, and Claude Sonnet perform, but with superior efficiency and at a lower cost.

Highlighting this shift, Chowdhary noted, “The challenge that was there till now is that [established AI companies] were the only game in town. Now there is a completely new game in town, and at a much lower cost of usage.”

He stressed that AI development is now a matter of national strategic autonomy, underscoring the urgency for India to build its own foundational LLMs, GPUs, and chips. DeepSeek was able to procure over 2,000 NVIDIA A100 GPUs just before US restrictions on chip exports took effect.

Reflecting on the significance of DeepSeek’s open-source approach, he pointed out that it lowers barriers to AI innovation worldwide and could disrupt the business models of industry giants like Google and NVIDIA.

Chowdhary also highlighted AI’s potential in fields such as healthcare, education, and climate change. “We should encourage more and more of that, but parallel to that, we should not shy away from creating our own LLMs and making ourselves secure for the long term,” he said.

Speaking on the urgency of the situation, he urged swift action. “We need to really gear up and consider this as a huge wake-up call for us. It should be treated like an emergency,” he said.

Additionally, he emphasized the need to treat India’s data as a national asset. While acknowledging the government’s allocation of ₹1 lakh crore for R&D in the last Budget, he noted that tangible progress on the ground has been limited. He also called for the continuation of the India AI Mission to ensure the country remains competitive in the global AI race.