India's Sarvam launches Indus AI chat app as competition heats up | TechCrunch

TechCrunch

by Jagmeet Singh

February 21, 2026

AI-Generated Deep Dive Summary

India's Sarvam has entered the competitive AI chat app market with the launch of its Indus app, positioning itself as a local alternative to global giants like OpenAI and Google. The app, available in beta for web, iOS, and Android users, leverages Sarvam’s newly unveiled 105B-parameter large language model, designed to cater specifically to Indian users and their linguistic needs. This move comes amid heightened competition in India's AI sector, with major players like OpenAI reporting over 100 million weekly active users in the country. Sarvam aims to capitalize on this growing demand by offering a localized solution that includes features like text and voice-based interactions. The Indus app is part of Sarvam’s broader strategy to establish itself as a key player in India's AI ecosystem. At the recent India AI Impact Summit, the startup announced partnerships with companies such as HMD Global (formerly Nokia) and Bosch, focusing on integrating AI into feature phones and automotive applications. These initiatives highlight Sarvam’s goal of making AI accessible across various sectors in India. The app currently offers sign-in options via phone numbers, Google accounts, or Apple IDs, but access is limited to India for now. While Indus boasts advanced capabilities through its 105B model, it also has some limitations. Users cannot delete their chat history without removing their account, and the reasoning feature cannot be turned off, which may affect response times. Additionally, Sarvam is currently scaling its compute capacity, meaning users might encounter waitlists as the service expands. The startup is actively seeking feedback to improve the app’s functionality and accessibility. Sarvam’s launch of Indus reflects a broader trend in India’s

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Originally published on TechCrunch on 2/21/2026