tech
India's Avataar AI launches a video model that costs $0.005 per second, 27x cheaper than rivals
Avataar AI launched Varya, an open-weight video model at $0.005/second, 27x cheaper than rivals. Built under India’s AI Mission, it renders Indian culture accurately.
TL;DR
- Avataar AI launched Varya, an Indian homegrown video AI model costing $0.005 per second.
- Varya is 27 times cheaper than comparable open-source video models due to a distillation process that reduces generation steps.
- The model is designed for cultural specificity, accurately rendering Indian clothing, food, architecture, and settings.
- Varya is open-weight and will be released on India’s AIKosh portal.
- Avataar AI is one of 12 startups selected for the IndiaAI Mission, receiving subsidized GPU compute.
- The company has raised $55 million from Peak XV Partners and Tiger Global.
- India's AI strategy focuses on building affordable and culturally relevant models for its population.