India, known for its thriving tech ecosystem, is quickly emerging as a global leader in the development and application of artificial intelligence (AI). In 2025, several homegrown AI players are expected to dominate the scene, driving innovation, creating economic opportunities, and solving complex challenges. These emerging AI companies will play an integral role in transforming India’s technological landscape, offering solutions across various sectors like healthcare, agriculture, finance, and more.
Sarvam.ai: Empowering Businesses with Intelligent Automation
Sarvam AI is a Bengaluru-based AI startup that has revolutionized the AI landscape in India by focusing on inclusivity, efficiency, and sovereignty. The company has launched several key innovations, including an open-source foundational model that supports 10 major Indian languages, along with GenAI services tailored for enterprises. Their offerings aim to bridge the gap in AI accessibility and adoption across India’s diverse linguistic and socio-economic landscape.
Sarvam AI’s Vision and Approach:
Sarvam AI’s approach is shaped by four key principles:
Voice-Enabled AI: Emphasizing accessibility, Sarvam AI ensures that its products support voice-enabled interaction in India’s diverse languages, making AI technologies usable for everyone, regardless of socio-economic background.
Sarvam advocates for creating small, efficient AI models that can be customized for specific applications, ensuring that AI solutions are practical and adaptable to the varied needs of Indian industries. Going beyond information delivery, Sarvam focuses on agentic AI—intelligent agents that can perform tasks autonomously, adding real value by simplifying day-to-day operations and business processes. Sarvam AI is committed to sovereign AI development, ensuring that data remains within India’s borders and complies with local laws and regulations.
Government Support and Industry Impact:
Sarvam AI’s groundbreaking launch is a pivotal moment in India’s AI landscape. The company’s success is underpinned by India’s increasing push to foster AI development and entrepreneurship, with government initiatives like Digital India and the National AI Strategy supporting the startup ecosystem. Sarvam’s focus on sovereign AI aligns with the government’s emphasis on data privacy, making their offerings both highly relevant and strategically aligned with India’s long-term goals for AI development.
By launching these products and services, Sarvam AI is addressing key challenges in accessibility, efficiency, and inclusion, positioning itself as a leader in India’s rapidly evolving AI sector. With an open-source approach and strong enterprise solutions, Sarvam AI is poised to significantly drive AI adoption across various industries in India, ultimately contributing to the country’s digital transformation.
Key investors: Lightspeed Venture Partners, Peak XV Partners and Khosla Ventures.
NIRAMAI (Non-Invasive Risk Assessment with Machine Intelligence)
NIRMAI is an Indian health tech startup that leverages artificial intelligence (AI) to offer innovative solutions for breast cancer screening. Founded in 2016 by Dr. Suman Jyothi, an ex-Indian Air Force officer, and Dr. Geetha Manjunath, a former engineer and AI researcher, NIRMAI’s mission is to make breast cancer detection more accessible, accurate, and affordable, especially for women in rural and underserved areas of India.
The company’s flagship product is a non-invasive, radiation-free device called “NIRMAI’s Thermalytix”, which uses thermal imaging to detect temperature variations on the skin’s surface. These variations can indicate underlying abnormalities in breast tissue, such as tumors. The AI system analyzes these thermal images, identifying patterns that may signal early-stage breast cancer. The machine learning algorithms are trained on large datasets, enabling them to recognize subtle changes that traditional methods might miss, providing accurate risk predictions.
This AI-powered approach not only enhances early detection but also supports healthcare professionals with decision-making by providing fast, non-invasive, and affordable screening. It helps reduce the need for invasive tests and speeds up the diagnostic process, especially in rural and underserved areas where access to traditional screening is limited. With continuous learning capabilities, the AI system improves over time, offering scalable solutions for large-scale breast cancer screening programs.
Impact:
NIRMAI’s solution is revolutionary in a country like India, where access to healthcare services is often limited in rural areas, and breast cancer detection rates are low due to the lack of awareness and screening programs. By providing an affordable and non-invasive alternative, NIRMAI has the potential to drastically reduce breast cancer mortality rates. The company has been recognized for its innovation and received numerous awards, including recognition by the Government of India’s Atal Innovation Mission and NASSCOM.
NIRMAI has grown steadily since its inception and gained widespread attention both in India and internationally. The startup has successfully partnered with various hospitals and healthcare providers, and its product has been tested in real-world clinical settings. NIRMAI has also received funding from investors and venture capitalists which has supported its research and expansion efforts. With a growing presence in India and a positive reception from the medical community, NIRMAI is poised to expand its reach and continue contributing to the global fight against breast cancer.
Key Investors: pi Ventures, Ankur Capital and 500 Global.
Krutrim by Ola
Krutrim, India’s first unicorn AI startup, is led by Ola founder Bhavish Aggarwal. The company, which derives its name from the Hindi word for “artificial” (of Sanskrit origin), is valued at $1 billion despite raising just $50 million in funding. Krutrim AI technology is an innovative platform designed to enhance the performance of electric vehicles (EVs) within the Ola Electric ecosystem. The technology leverages artificial intelligence to optimize key aspects like battery management, energy efficiency, and route optimization for Ola’s EV fleet. By analyzing real-time data from vehicles, Krutrim AI continuously learns and adapts to improve the driving experience, maximize battery life, and reduce energy consumption. It helps in predictive maintenance and ensures the vehicles operate at peak efficiency, reducing downtime and enhancing overall performance.
Impact:
The impact of Krutrim AI is transformative for the EV industry, addressing common concerns such as range anxiety, battery degradation, and operational costs. It enables Ola Electric to offer more reliable, sustainable, and cost-effective electric vehicles to consumers, accelerating the adoption of EVs in India. Looking to the future, Krutrim AI plays a key role in scaling Ola’s EV fleet and could become integral to the broader shift toward cleaner and more sustainable transportation. The Indian government has been actively supporting the electric vehicle sector through initiatives like FAME India (Faster Adoption and Manufacturing of Hybrid and Electric Vehicles) and PLI (Production Linked Incentive) schemes, which are crucial in helping Ola’s Krutrim AI technology grow and contribute to India’s green mobility goals.
Key investors: Matrix Partners India (now Z47).
The Real Question:
India’s top AI startups may be making impressive strides, but as many of them rely on Western funding and mentorship, one must ask: are they truly independent innovators, or extensions of Big Tech’s global ambitions?
While these startups are undoubtedly contributing to the AI landscape, there’s an underlying question about whether they are shaping solutions for local challenges or aligning with the priorities of Silicon Valley. As India’s AI ecosystem continues to grow, it’s crucial to find a balance—leveraging global expertise without losing sight of homegrown innovation and technological sovereignty, ensuring that the country doesn’t just follow the global narrative but creates its own.
