Krutrim, a startup focusing on artificial intelligence (AI) and founded by Bhavish Aggarwal, the creator of Ola, has recently launched an independent Android app for their AI chatbot. This app is designed to compete with other similar chatbots like OpenAI’s ChatGPT, Google’s Gemini, and Microsoft’s Copilot.
Krutrim has also announced the launch of its developer services, which include cloud infrastructure and location-based services. These services, known as Ola Maps, will be available on May 4th.
The company first announced its AI chatbot in December and released it to the public in February. This chatbot is powered by their multilingual large language models (LLMs) called Krutrim and supports over 10 Indian languages with plans to expand to all 22 by 2024.
Krutrim, which means “artificial” in Sanskrit, is focused on building the entire AI computing stack and operates as a separate company within the Ola Group, similar to Ola Electric and Ola Cabs, which is set to go public soon.
Krutrim’s chatbot is marketed as a writing tool for generating content and can also assist with daily queries, news and trends, and various other topics.
It is worth noting that users of Ola’s ride-hailing app can already access Krutrim’s chatbot within the app. Aggarwal has also hinted at a standalone app for Krutrim in recent weeks. An iOS app is also in the works and will be available soon.
Krutrim’s AI chatbot is now running on its own cloud infrastructure, as Aggarwal announced on the social media platform X (previously known as Twitter). The startup also plans to offer “lots of Krutrim credits” to encourage developers to use their cloud services.
In addition to AI computing, Ola Maps will also provide location intelligence services, including mapping and location-based services, to developers. This includes navigation software development kits (SDKs) for iOS and Android, dynamic and interactive maps, and relevant search suggestions based on geographical data.
Ola acquired GeoSpoc, a provider of geospatial services, in October 2021 and currently uses Ola Maps for their ride-hailing app. They have also announced plans to expand Ola Maps to their electric two-wheelers through a software update in January.
Krutrim also unveiled their multilingual LLMs in December, which have been trained on 2 trillion tokens of data with a focus on Indian culture and languages. Their LLMs, available in two sizes, have been trained by a team of computer scientists in Bengaluru and San Francisco.
Krutrim claims that their models outperform many open-source LLMs and even surpass OpenAI’s GPT-4 in Indic language performance. Another player in this space is Sarvam AI, which recently released their first Hindi LLM and claims to perform on par with GPT-3.5 for Indic languages.
In addition to LLMs, Krutrim also has plans to design their own chips and create AI infrastructure, including data centers and supercomputers. They are aiming for a mid-2024 production of prototypes and a roadmap for full production by the end of 2025.
Ola also plans to integrate Krutrim into their group companies this year, using the technology for sales, service, support, and other key processes.
