Sarvam Signs MoU With HQ IDS for AI Projects Across Armed Forces
Sarvam will build AI applications for the Army, Navy and Air Force under an MoU with Headquarters Integrated Defence Staff.
Key Takeaways
- Sarvam signed an MoU with HQ IDS, which works under the Ministry of Defence.
- The MoU covers AI projects across the Army, Navy and Air Force.
- Sarvam will design, develop and deploy AI applications and provide follow-on technical support.
- Chanakya, Sarvam's national security and defence division, will do the work using Sarvam's AI stack, which includes the Sarvam 105B model.
- Human oversight is retained on operational decisions.
Sarvam, an Indian AI company, has signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with Headquarters Integrated Defence Staff (HQ IDS), which works under the Ministry of Defence. The agreement covers AI projects across the Indian Army, Navy and Air Force. It was reported on 27 October 2026.
Under the MoU, Sarvam will design, develop and deploy AI applications for operational, training and decision-support needs, and provide follow-on technical support. The work will be carried out by Chanakya, Sarvam's division for national security and defence.
Sarvam's MoU with HQ IDS at a glance
| Detail | Sarvam |
|---|---|
| Parties | Sarvam and HQ IDS, Ministry of Defence |
| Type of agreement | Memorandum of understanding |
| Services covered | Indian Army, Navy and Air Force |
| What Sarvam will do | Design, develop and deploy AI applications, and provide follow-on technical support |
| Needs covered | Operational, training and decision-support |
| Delivery unit | Chanakya, Sarvam's firewalled division for national security and defence |
| AI model named | Sarvam 105B foundation model |
| Reported on | 27 October 2026 |
How Chanakya will carry out the defence work
Chanakya is Sarvam's firewalled division for national security and defence. It will do the work under the MoU using Sarvam's AI stack, which includes the Sarvam 105B foundation model.
The focus areas are decision support, target acquisition and data fusion across the sensor-to-shooter loop. Human oversight is retained on operational decisions. The framework also covers the joint, tri-service and integrated organisations under HQ IDS.
Pratyush Kumar on building AI in India
"Sarvam exists to build AI in India, for India."
Where Sarvam stands after its MoU with HQ IDS
Under the MoU, Sarvam is to build AI applications for the Indian Army, Navy and Air Force, and the framework also covers the joint, tri-service and integrated organisations under HQ IDS. The work will run through Chanakya, Sarvam's firewalled national security and defence division, using an AI stack that includes the Sarvam 105B foundation model. Human oversight is retained on operational decisions.