Sarvam AI Signs Five-Year Defence MoU with HQ IDS to Develop AI for Indian Army, Navy and Air Force

Bengaluru-based artificial intelligence company Sarvam AI has signed a five-year Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Headquarters Integrated Defence Staff (HQ IDS) to develop indigenous AI applications for India's Army, Navy and Air Force. The collaboration is expected to cover military operations, training, decision support, target acquisition and data integration.

India is taking another step towards strengthening its indigenous artificial intelligence capabilities in the defence sector. The agreement establishes an umbrella framework for multiple AI projects involving the Indian Army, Indian Navy and Indian Air Force, as well as joint, tri-service and integrated organisations operating under HQ IDS.

The agreement is with HQ IDS, an organisation under the Ministry of Defence, rather than a direct MoU signed with the ministry itself.

What will Sarvam AI develop for India's armed forces?

Under the agreement, Sarvam will design, develop and deploy AI applications addressing operational, training and decision-support requirements of the three services. The company is also expected to provide technical support for projects after deployment.

The proposed areas include AI-powered decision support to help personnel analyse information and support planning; target-acquisition tools to assist in identifying and assessing potential targets; data-fusion capabilities that combine information from multiple sensors and sources; and AI applications for military training, research and knowledge management.

The collaboration also identifies geospatial and perception systems as areas of interest. One focus is the sensor-to-shooter loop: the process through which information is collected, analysed, used to identify a potential target and passed through the relevant operational chain.

Human oversight is expected to remain in place for operational decisions.

Sarvam's Chanakya division to lead defence AI projects

The defence-related work will be carried out through Chanakya, Sarvam's dedicated division focused on national security and defence applications.

The company has said the work will draw on its AI technology stack, including foundation models such as Sarvam 105B, agentic infrastructure, and geospatial and perception systems. The framework is intended to support shared AI capabilities across the three services.

Why indigenous AI matters for India's defence sector

Artificial intelligence is increasingly being explored for defence applications such as intelligence analysis, surveillance, logistics, planning, training and decision support. For India, developing domestic AI capabilities also has strategic importance: it can help reduce dependence on foreign technology for sensitive applications.

Indian-developed models and sovereign infrastructure could provide greater control over data, deployment and technology development. However, the detailed security architecture, deployment arrangements and safeguards for individual projects have not yet been publicly specified.