Sarvam AI partners with Odisha and Tamil Nadu to build national compute grid
Sarvam AI partners with Odisha and Tamil Nadu to build sovereign AI infrastructure, including a 50MW compute facility and the Digital Sangam research park.
- Feb 9, 2026,
- Updated Feb 9, 2026 4:19 PM IST
In a significant move towards digital autonomy, Indian AI startup Sarvam AI has announced landmark strategic partnerships with the state governments of Odisha and Tamil Nadu. The collaborations aim to establish 'Sovereign AI' infrastructure, including large-scale compute facilities and localised language models, ensuring that the benefits of artificial intelligence reach India’s billion-plus citizens in their native tongues.
As AI transitions from a niche capability to foundational public infrastructure, these partnerships represent a shift in how Indian states approach technology, moving away from a reliance on external platforms and towards building a self-reliant, "full-stack" Indian AI ecosystem.
In a post on X (formerly Twitter) Pratyush Kumar, CEO of Sarvam AI said that "The aim of these partnerships is to drive transformation by building at-scale compute, sovereign models, and the institutional capacity to drive AI adoption".
On 6 February 2026, the Government of Odisha signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Sarvam AI to develop a 50MW AI-optimised facility. Historically known for its industrial and mineral wealth, Odisha is now positioning itself as a central hub for digital intelligence.
The new facility will serve two primary functions:
State Public Utility: Leveraging Vision AI to enhance safety in mining and heavy industries, alongside Odia-to-English voice tools to boost youth employability.
National Compute Backbone: The hub is intended to anchor a nationwide compute grid, offering production-grade AI capacity to other Indian states and national platforms.
Anu Garg, Chief Secretary of Odisha, noted that the transition from a "mine-driven" to a "mind-driven" economy aligns with the national vision of “Viksit Bharat 2047".
In the south, Tamil Nadu is launching Digital Sangam, India’s first Sovereign AI Research Park. Created in collaboration with Sarvam AI and IIT Madras, the park will house a 20MW AI-optimised data centre.
The initiative is designed to be a physical ecosystem where research, startup incubation, and advanced compute infrastructure coexist. Key projects under Digital Sangam include:
Vivasāya Nanban: An AI assistant providing 24/7 digital advisory services to 7.9 million farming households.
Unified Citizen Helpline: An AI-powered interface to simplify access to welfare schemes and public services.
Dr TRB Rajaa, Minister for Industries, Tamil Nadu, emphasised that voice-enabled AI applications will be crucial for rural and tribal areas stating, "The deployment of population-scale, voice-enables AI applications will enable will enable citizens, particularly in rural tribal areas, to access information on entitlement, benefit and grievance redressal through simple conversational interfaces".
A push for digital sovereignty
The core philosophy behind these moves is "Sovereign AI", the idea that a nation's data and the intelligence derived from it should remain within its borders. By building models specifically for Indian languages and contexts, Sarvam AI and its state partners are ensuring that AI reflects the cultural and linguistic nuances of the Indian population.
"Choices made now about AI infrastructure will shape whether intelligence compounds within the country or accrues elsewhere," Sarvam AI stated in their announcement.
By integrating AI into the fabric of governance, India is attempting to create a "Digital Public Infrastructure" (DPI) for AI. This layer will allow intelligence to be shared and reused across various public systems, ensuring the country’s "data dividend" stays firmly in Indian hands.
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In a significant move towards digital autonomy, Indian AI startup Sarvam AI has announced landmark strategic partnerships with the state governments of Odisha and Tamil Nadu. The collaborations aim to establish 'Sovereign AI' infrastructure, including large-scale compute facilities and localised language models, ensuring that the benefits of artificial intelligence reach India’s billion-plus citizens in their native tongues.
As AI transitions from a niche capability to foundational public infrastructure, these partnerships represent a shift in how Indian states approach technology, moving away from a reliance on external platforms and towards building a self-reliant, "full-stack" Indian AI ecosystem.
In a post on X (formerly Twitter) Pratyush Kumar, CEO of Sarvam AI said that "The aim of these partnerships is to drive transformation by building at-scale compute, sovereign models, and the institutional capacity to drive AI adoption".
On 6 February 2026, the Government of Odisha signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Sarvam AI to develop a 50MW AI-optimised facility. Historically known for its industrial and mineral wealth, Odisha is now positioning itself as a central hub for digital intelligence.
The new facility will serve two primary functions:
State Public Utility: Leveraging Vision AI to enhance safety in mining and heavy industries, alongside Odia-to-English voice tools to boost youth employability.
National Compute Backbone: The hub is intended to anchor a nationwide compute grid, offering production-grade AI capacity to other Indian states and national platforms.
Anu Garg, Chief Secretary of Odisha, noted that the transition from a "mine-driven" to a "mind-driven" economy aligns with the national vision of “Viksit Bharat 2047".
In the south, Tamil Nadu is launching Digital Sangam, India’s first Sovereign AI Research Park. Created in collaboration with Sarvam AI and IIT Madras, the park will house a 20MW AI-optimised data centre.
The initiative is designed to be a physical ecosystem where research, startup incubation, and advanced compute infrastructure coexist. Key projects under Digital Sangam include:
Vivasāya Nanban: An AI assistant providing 24/7 digital advisory services to 7.9 million farming households.
Unified Citizen Helpline: An AI-powered interface to simplify access to welfare schemes and public services.
Dr TRB Rajaa, Minister for Industries, Tamil Nadu, emphasised that voice-enabled AI applications will be crucial for rural and tribal areas stating, "The deployment of population-scale, voice-enables AI applications will enable will enable citizens, particularly in rural tribal areas, to access information on entitlement, benefit and grievance redressal through simple conversational interfaces".
A push for digital sovereignty
The core philosophy behind these moves is "Sovereign AI", the idea that a nation's data and the intelligence derived from it should remain within its borders. By building models specifically for Indian languages and contexts, Sarvam AI and its state partners are ensuring that AI reflects the cultural and linguistic nuances of the Indian population.
"Choices made now about AI infrastructure will shape whether intelligence compounds within the country or accrues elsewhere," Sarvam AI stated in their announcement.
By integrating AI into the fabric of governance, India is attempting to create a "Digital Public Infrastructure" (DPI) for AI. This layer will allow intelligence to be shared and reused across various public systems, ensuring the country’s "data dividend" stays firmly in Indian hands.
For Unparalleled coverage of India's Businesses and Economy – Subscribe to Business Today Magazine