Ola Launches Krutrim AI Chatbot Mobile App to Challenge ChatGPT and Gemini
Ola, the Indian ride-hailing giant, has made a bold move into the artificial intelligence (AI) space with the launch of its Krutrim AI chatbot mobile app. The app, developed by Ola’s AI startup Krutrim, aims to take on industry leaders like OpenAI’s ChatGPT and Geoogle’s Gemini AI.
Krutrim, founded by Ola’s co-founder Bhavish Aggarwal, has emerged as India’s first AI unicorn, raising $50 million at a $1 billion valuation earlier this year. The company’s latest move is a clear indication of its ambitions to become a dominant player in the rapidly evolving AI landscape.
The Krutrim AI assistant app, built on the company’s large-language model (LLM), promises to revolutionize the adoption of generative AI (GenAI) by providing a seamless integration into users’ daily lives. The app, available on both Android and iOS platforms, aims to simplify the use of AI-powered tools and services, which Aggarwal says often suffer from ” Complexity and fragmentation.”
One of the key features of the Krutim app is its ability to understand and respond to queries in over 10 Indian languages, with plans to expand to all 22 scheduled languages. This multilingual capability sets it apart from its global counterparts, which have traditionally struggled to cater to the diverse linguistic needs of the Indian market.
In addition to the chatbot app, Krutim has also opened up its cloud platform, dubbed “Krutim Cloud,” to enterprises, developers, and researchers. This move positions the company as a direct competitor to the likes of Amazon Web Services (AWS), Google Cloud, and Microsoft Azure, which currently dominate the cloud services market.
Krutrim Cloud will provide access to advanced AI computing infrastructure, the company’s foundational language models, and a range of open-source models. This will enable developers and businesses to build AI-powered products and services at a fraction of the current costs, without relying on “complex and cost-heavy western could platforms.”
One of the key offerings of Krutrim Cloud is the “Model-as-a-service” (MaaS) feature, which will allow developers to access Krutrim’s proprietary language model as well as open-source models hosted on the platform. These models, coupled with Python SDKs, are designed to enable the creation of India-specific AI products by leveraging Krutrim’s expertise in understanding local languages and cultural contexts.
Additionally, Krutrim Cloud will offer GPU-as-a-service, allowing enterprises and developers to train, fine-tune, and serve their AI models on state-of-the-art computing infrastructure. The platform will also provide location-based services including APIs and SDKs for features like places, Tiles, Routing, and Navigation.
Aggarwal, the founder of Krutrim and Ola, has emphasized the company’s commitment to developing “full-stack AI capabilities in India, for the world.” This includes plans to build indigenous data centers, server computing, edge computing, and even supercomputers, to design custom silicon and chips.
Krutrim’s sustainable approach to executing its AI vision is another key differentiator. Aggarwal has stated that the company aims to be more energy efficient than global players, with plans to design its technologies for energy management and building the “most efficient data centers in the world.”
The launch of the Krutrim AI chatbot app and the opening of the Krutrim Cloud platform marks a significant step in the company’s mission to democratize AI and empower Indian enterprises, developers, and researchers. By providing access to advanced AI capabilities at lower costs and with a focus on local language support and sustainability, Krutrim is positioning itself as a formidable challenger to the dominant players in the global AI and cloud computing markets.
As the race for AI supremacy heats, Krutrim’s entry into the market with its India-centric approach could disrupt the status quo and pave the way for a new era of AI innovation and adoption in the country. The success of the Krutrim app and cloud platform will be closely watched, as it could have far-reaching implications for the future of AI in India and beyond.
