Sarvam, an Indian artificial intelligence startup focused on developing models for local languages and regional users, has launched Indus, a new AI chat application available on web and mobile platforms. The move marks the company’s entry into the rapidly expanding generative AI market, where it now faces stiff competition from global giants like OpenAI, Anthropic, and Google. India has emerged as a critical battleground for AI adoption. OpenAI CEO Sam Altman recently revealed that ChatGPT has over 100 million weekly active users in India, while Anthropic reported that the country accounts for 5.8% of total Claude usage—second only to the United States. Indus serves as the user-facing interface for Sarvam’s newly unveiled 105-billion-parameter large language model, the Sarvam 105B. The app launched just two days after the company revealed its 105B and 30B models at the India AI Impact Summit in New Delhi. During the event, Sarvam also announced enterprise initiatives, hardware development plans, and strategic partnerships with HMD Global to bring AI capabilities to Nokia feature phones and with Bosch for AI-powered automotive solutions. Currently in beta, the Indus app is available on iOS, Android, and the web, allowing users to interact via text or voice input and receive responses in both text and audio formats. Users can sign in using their phone number, Google account, or Apple ID, though access is currently restricted to India. The app does come with certain limitations. Users cannot delete their chat history without deleting their entire account, and there is no option to disable the app’s reasoning feature, which can occasionally slow down responses. Sarvam has acknowledged these constraints, noting that access may be limited initially due to constrained 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,” said co-founder Pratyush Kumar on X. The company is actively seeking user feedback to improve the platform. Founded in 2023, Sarvam has raised $41 million from investors including Lightspeed Venture Partners, Peak XV Partners, and Khosla Ventures. The startup is part of a growing wave of Indian companies striving to build homegrown AI alternatives, driven by a national push to strengthen domestic AI infrastructure and ensure greater control over data and technology.