India Launches Three Indigenous AI Models Under IndiaAI Mission: Eka-1 by Soket Labs and Dhir 2B and Dhir 5B by ZenteiQ

On 3 November 2026, the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY) launched three indigenous AI foundation models under the IndiaAI Mission: EKA-1, Dhīr 2B and Dhīr 5B. They aim to give India secure, homegrown AI that works in Indian languages and even without internet.

EKA-1 by Soket Labs: An AI Foundation Model Built for Indian Languages and Critical Sectors

EKA-1 is a large AI model from Soket Labs Technology and Research. It has 26.3 billion parameters and was trained on about 7.5 trillion tokens. It works in all 22 scheduled Indian languages and English, so more people can use advanced AI in their own language. 

What can EKA-1 do? 

It can solve math problems, write software code, handle logical reasoning, and run agent-based AI tasks. Some operations can run directly on a local device, without mobile data or Wi-Fi, which helps areas with weak connectivity. According to Soket CEO Abhishek Upperwal, it is built with banking, financial services, and cybersecurity needs in mind.

Dhīr 2B & Dhīr 5B by ZenteiQ AiTech Innovations: AI Models Designed for Offline Use

Dhīr 2B and Dhīr 5B are lightweight, open-source models from ZenteiQ AiTech Innovations. They support English and 10 Indian languages. They can work on mobile devices, GPUs, and TPUs. As data is processed locally, users keep more control over privacy and security, as noted by ZenteiQ CEO Professor Sashikumar. 

What Are Dhīr 2B & Dhīr 5B Useful For?

Unlike cloud-based AI, these models can be set up on an organisation’s own computers and run offline. They can handle document-based automation, information retrieval, and citizen services. This suits defence, government offices, industry, and education, where internet access may be limited or data security matters most.

IndiaAI Mission Supports Indigenous AI Development

Both companies were chosen under the Foundation Models pillar of the IndiaAI Innovation Centre. They received subsidised national AI computing power and support for research costs.

What Is the IndiaAI Mission?

The IndiaAI Mission is a government programme approved by the Union Cabinet in March 2024 to build a strong homegrown AI ecosystem in India. It works through seven pillars:

1. IndiaAI Compute Capacity
2. IndiaAI Innovation Centre
3. IndiaAI Datasets Platform (AIKosh)
4. IndiaAI Application Development Initiative
5. IndiaAI FutureSkills
6. IndiaAI Startup Financing
7. Safe and Trusted AI

Researchers, students, and startups can explore these resources through AIKosh.