The move follows a period of limited public activity from Krutrim, which has not made any significant product announcements in recent months, with its last post on X dating back to December. The startup did not appear in any of the sessions at India’s AI Impact Summit in New Delhi, where global players such as Anthropic, Google, and OpenAI took part.

In contrast, rival Sarvam participated in multiple sessions at the six-day AI event, where it showcased new open source models, hardware developments, and commercial partnerships.

The changes also come after a series of layoffs at Krutrim over the past year, with more than 200 roles cut across multiple rounds, according to local media reports. The startup pulled its Kruti AI assistant app from app stores in April.

Founded by Bhavish Aggarwal (pictured above), who also leads ride-hailing firm Ola and EV maker Ola Electric, Krutrim had initially positioned itself as one of India’s earliest GenAI contenders, seeking to build domestic alternatives to models from companies such as Anthropic, OpenAI, and Elon Musk’s xAI. The startup raised $50 million at a $1 billion valuation in January 2024, reflecting early investor enthusiasm for India’s homegrown AI ambitions, even as AI funding in the country remains far smaller than in the U.S.