Union IT Minster Ashwini Vaishnaw of India announced on Thursday that the DeepSeek, the most popular open-source Chinese AI model, is set to be hosted on local Indian servers. It will be a significant development to overcome the increasing data security threat experienced in many countries globally.
On the one hand, this decision takes place against a backdrop of increasingly critical concerns regarding both privacy and any risk of transferring information to China, as pointed out by experts and the DeepSeek policy document itself, which says that user data is stored on servers in China.
India to Host DeepSeek AI on Local Indian Servers as a Part of Country’s Vision to Stand Out in AI’s World
The announcement is also a part of India’s overall vision for strengthening its place in the international AI world. Vaishnaw revealed plans to develop a homegrown foundational AI model within the next few months, alongside the establishment of a dedicated AI safety institution. These initiatives are backed by a massive investment of over Rs 10,300 crore under the IndiaAI mission, aimed at fostering AI startups and building robust AI infrastructure.
The minister also highlighted the government’s effort to bring state-of-the-art technology within the reach and affordability of people. “Ours is the most affordable computing facility at this point in time,” Vaishnaw stated, stressing India’s ambition to become a global AI hub.
DeepSeek Makes Waves, Surpasses Big Gants Like OpenAI
DeepSeek, developed by a Chinese startup, has gained traction for its efficiency and advanced reasoning capabilities, even surpassing OpenAI’s ChatGPT in app downloads on Apple’s App Store. Yet, it has also been controversial, raising accusations made by OpenAI that it pilfered its work to improve its models.
Vaishnaw’s announcement marks an Indian commitment to tackle these issues head-on and promote innovation. DeepSeek is hosted locally and when it comes to indigenous AI development, India seeks to strike out on the one hand technical progress, and on the other access to data, data sovereignty, and data security.
Also, see: DeepSeek: The Game-Changing Chinese AI Chatbot Reshaping the Industry