Soket AI, founded in 2019 by Abhishek Upperwal, has secured ₹177 crore in funding under the IndiaAI Mission to develop large language models (LLMs) focused on Indian languages. The startup’s funding includes ₹162 crore in compute resources and ₹15 crore in non-compute support, aimed at creating an indigenous AI system that understands and reasons in multiple Indian languages, according to inc42.com.
The startup is building a sovereign, open-source AI stack that treats Indic languages as a core feature rather than an add-on. Soket AI’s approach emphasizes strong reasoning capabilities to power enterprise, government, and strategic applications. Its flagship initiative, Project EKA, aims to develop a 120 billion parameter AI model that will support over 20 Indian languages and extend to under-represented languages across the Global South, with a planned launch in 2027.
Soket AI’s focus on math, coding, and reasoning sets it apart from other AI startups that primarily highlight Indian language support. The company aims to reduce dependence on foreign AI providers by creating a multilingual AI model that can write code and solve complex problems. This positions Soket AI as a key player in India’s push for sovereign AI technology tailored to local linguistic and strategic needs.
Project EKA’s 120 billion parameter open-source AI model is scheduled for release in 2027, marking a significant step toward enhancing AI capabilities for Indian and Global South languages, inc42.com reported.