India’s AI Shift from Adoption to Innovation Gains Momentum as Thore Network Expands Its Role in the ‘Build India’ Phase

India’s artificial intelligence (AI) ecosystem is undergoing a decisive transition. From being largely a consumer of global AI solutions, the country is now moving steadily toward building its own datasets, platforms, and infrastructure aligned with national priorities. Government-backed initiatives such as the AI India Mission, AI Kosh, Bhashini, and incentives around compute power and GPUs are reshaping the landscape, encouraging domestic companies to develop technologies that are both globally competitive and locally relevant.

Amid this shift, Mumbai-headquartered Thore Network Private Limited has emerged as one of the companies working at the intersection of AI, blockchain, and decentralized computing. Founded in 2018, Thore Network has been steadily expanding its footprint across language technology, cybersecurity, road safety, and high-performance computing-areas increasingly seen as strategic for India’s digital future.

Building AI Infrastructure for Indian Needs

India’s AI challenge has never been about talent alone. Industry experts have long pointed to constraints around compute access, datasets in Indian languages, and scalable infrastructure as key bottlenecks. Over the past two years, however, policy interventions-ranging from GPU vouchers to public AI datasets-have begun to address these gaps.

Thore Network’s recent inclusion of two datasets in AI Kosh, the government-backed repository of high-quality AI datasets, reflects this new phase. The approved datasets focus on road safety analytics and Indian language computing (BhashaSetu/Bhashini), both priority areas for public impact and digital inclusion.

According to sector analysts, such datasets are crucial for training AI models that work effectively in Indian conditions, whether it is understanding diverse languages or addressing road safety challenges unique to Indian traffic environments.

Leadership Shaping Strategy and Scale

While Thore Network operates as a technology-led organisation, leadership experience has played a key role in aligning its work with long-term institutional and policy goals. The company is led by Alok Kumar, Founder and CEO, and Prashant Kolhe, Co-founder, Managing Director, and Vice Chairman.

Kolhe brings over 25 years of investment banking experience, having executed more than 200 transactions during his tenure at Axis Capital (formerly ENAM). In 2025, he transitioned fully into an operational role at Thore Network, focusing on governance, institutional readiness, and long-term value creation.

The India Prime Times editorial team recently met Prashant Kolhe to understand how financial discipline and technology innovation intersect in India’s AI journey. During the interaction, our team observed a strong emphasis on building sustainable structures rather than short-term experimentation-a mindset increasingly important as AI companies scale toward public markets and long-duration projects.

Kolhe noted that India’s “Build India” phase in AI will depend not only on algorithms, but also on strong foundations around compliance, capital efficiency, and partnerships with government and industry.

Alignment with National AI Programs

Thore Network’s empanelment under flagship initiatives such as Bhashini AI and the NCIIPC challenge on using large language models (LLMs) to detect vulnerabilities in open-source software places it within India’s national AI priorities.

In the cybersecurity domain, the company’s research team has developed LLM-based tools capable of scanning source code in real time to identify vulnerabilities and suggest mitigation strategies. With Indian enterprises and government systems facing growing cyber risks, such solutions are gaining relevance beyond pure commercial use.

Industry observers note that cybersecurity, language computing, and infrastructure AI are likely to dominate India’s AI agenda over the next decade, particularly as digital public services expand.

AI for Public Safety and Infrastructure

Beyond enterprise and policy-aligned projects, Thore Network has also been piloting MaargAI, an AI-driven road safety initiative. The platform integrates live traffic feeds, weather data, and historical accident records to generate predictive risk insights.

Urban planners and emergency response agencies can potentially use such tools to optimise deployments, improve traffic management, and issue real-time alerts. With India continuing to record high numbers of road accidents annually, technology-led interventions are increasingly being viewed as part of the solution.

The India Prime Times team noted that this focus on applied AI-rather than abstract research-reflects a broader industry trend where startups are expected to demonstrate measurable social and economic impact.

Decentralised Compute and the GPU Economy

One of Thore Network’s more distinctive initiatives is its GPU Credit Marketplace, often described as an “Uber for GPUs.” The platform connects organisations needing compute power with individuals or entities that have underutilised GPU capacity, creating a peer-to-peer marketplace for high-performance computing.

As AI workloads grow more compute-intensive, access to affordable GPUs has become a critical constraint for startups, researchers, and even enterprises. Early adopters of decentralised compute models have reported significant cost efficiencies compared to traditional cloud providers.

Experts suggest that such models could play an important role in democratising AI development in India, particularly for smaller players who cannot afford long-term cloud contracts.

A Company at the Intersection of Policy and Innovation

With backing such as the Microsoft Azure Founders Grant, which provides access to advanced cloud and GPU resources, Thore Network is positioned to accelerate development while reducing time-to-market. Partnerships of this nature underline how global platforms and Indian startups are increasingly collaborating within the country’s AI ecosystem.

From our interaction with Prashant Kolhe, the India Prime Times team sensed a deliberate effort to balance ambition with realism. Rather than chasing rapid expansion alone, the company appears focused on aligning technology development with regulatory readiness, institutional credibility, and long-term scalability.

India’s AI Story Enters a New Chapter

As India moves deeper into the “Build India” phase of AI, companies like Thore Network illustrate how domestic innovation is beginning to take shape-rooted in local challenges, supported by national policy, and designed with global scalability in mind.

For readers tracking India’s technology and policy landscape, this evolution signals an important shift. The next wave of AI growth is likely to be defined not by adoption metrics, but by the country’s ability to build resilient, inclusive, and impactful AI infrastructure from within.