The California-based Nasdaq-listed startup, which develops programmable AI processors and software for devices and data centers, conducts a significant portion of its research and development in Telangana. Half of the company’s approximately 300 employees are based in India.
“AI has come into the world in the form of ChatGPT. It’s a big thing that everyone knows about. But the real practical value of AI is derived only when it is deployed in real-world use cases,” Munagala told ET in an interview after announcing plans to expand Blaze’s Telangana operations during the World Economic Forum in Davos last month. “We realize the value (of AI) when it is used in the real world to improve public safety, increase agricultural productivity, and improve health care.”
Founded in 2011 by Mr Munagara, Mr Satyaki Connell and Mr Kane, Blaze is backed by Singaporean investment firm Temasek. It has raised more than $330 million from strategic investors including Mercedes-Benz and Samsung.
The company says it is focused on energy-efficient and cost-effective chips and software platforms. Munagala, who is also the company’s chief executive officer, said the company currently operates projects in areas such as public safety, defense and smart transportation in Asia, the Middle East and the Americas.
He said India has the potential to leverage AI to serve multiple sectors, including agriculture. “Most of India’s GDP comes from agriculture, but productivity remains low. It (the use of AI in agriculture) is already being done in Western countries. There’s no reason why it can’t be done in India.”
The company had set up operations in Hyderabad over a decade ago. In India, the company has partnered with Yotta to provide software services to data centers of Hiranandani group companies.
telangana memorandum
Blaise and the Telangana government signed a memorandum of understanding to work on the state’s AI and semiconductor ecosystem at the World Economic Forum in Davos.
This comes as the state government rolls out Aikam, an autonomous body to promote AI innovation. The program aims to upskill talent and accelerate the development of AI-first startups.
Phani Nagarjuna, founding CEO of Telangana AI Innovation Hub, said, “Today’s world of AI is all about commercialized pilots and basic models, but real-world applications of AI with real impact are missing.” He said the state was one of the first in India to create a data platform to hold healthcare data.
Mr Mungara said countries could improve data sharing to train models. “We hope that all states will work together and share data within the country,” Munagara said.
He believes that using physical AI models with cameras at every intersection to detect and smooth traffic could reduce traffic by nearly 10-15% in a city like Bangalore.
