Indus – The New AI Assistant by Sarvam AI for Indian Users
Indus serves as Sarvam AI’s entry into the consumer chatbot sector, featuring an AI assistant designed particularly for users in India and its diverse languages. Following the announcement of its large language models at the India AI Impact Summit, the Bengaluru-headquartered AI startup has empowered users through a dedicated web and mobile application.
From Waiting List to Live Access
Indus made its initial appearance on the Google Play Store on February 19, encountering a waiting list for users. However, by February 20, accessibility had expanded, allowing individuals to sign in and start engaging with the assistant.
The application is currently in beta on Android, iOS, and web platforms, with sign-in options available through a phone number, Google account or Apple ID.
Powered by Sarvam’s Flagship Model
Indus operates as the public interface for Sarvam’s newly launched 105-billion-parameter model, which was introduced alongside a compact 30B variant during the summit. The assistant presents itself as running on this advanced model, proficient in 22 Indian languages and optimised for local context. Its knowledge is current up to June 2025.
Multilingual Voice-First Experience
One of the standout features of Indus is its capability to manage both text and voice interactions in various Indian languages. During initial assessments, spoken queries in Hindi, Malayalam, Gujarati, or English received responses in the respective language, including verbal replies.
Initial testing revealed a natural conversational flow, though some inconsistencies are present. For instance, numbers are frequently articulated in English, even when the remaining response is delivered in another language, highlighting a minor but noticeable gap in localisation.
More than a Chatbot
Indus is characterised as a productivity assistant rather than merely a question-and-answer bot. Within the application, users can:
- Draft and edit documents
- Upload PDFs and images for analysis
- Pose questions concerning uploaded content
- Generate summaries and explanations
- Utilise agent-like tools to automate specific tasks
These functionalities align with Sarvam’s overarching strategy to delve into enterprise solutions and device integrations, including collaborations established with HMD for AI utilisation on Nokia feature phones and Bosch for automotive applications.
Early Limitations
As is common with most beta versions, Indus exhibits certain limitations.
At present, users are unable to delete chat history, as the sole method of removing conversations is to delete the entire account. Additionally, there is no option available to turn off the model’s reasoning mode.
Honest Verdict After a First Session
Indus is unlikely to rival ChatGPT for advanced users in the near future. However, for those who think in Hindi, read in Gujarati, or seek an AI that comprehends Indian context without prior explanation, this represents a significant advancement.