Digital
TCS becomes official AI and tech partner for Paris marathon
MUMBAI: Tata Consultancy Services (TCS), has been appointed as the Official AI and technology partner for the Schneider Electric Marathon de Paris. This three-year partnership aims to transform one of the world’s most prestigious marathons by integrating cutting-edge AI, data analytics, and digital twin technology to elevate the experience for both athletes and spectators.
With over 55,000 runners from 145 nationalities, the Schneider Electric Marathon de Paris is a landmark event, now set to benefit from TCS’ innovation. Leveraging its Paceport innovation hub in Paris, TCS will introduce AI-powered race experiences, personalised digital coaching, and immersive engagement tools to make the marathon more interactive and efficient.
TCS’ growing footprint in endurance sports is undeniable, with sponsorships spanning 14 global marathons, including the World Marathon Majors in New York, London, Chicago, Boston, and Sydney. In 2024 alone, TCS-backed races raised nearly $280 million for charities, reinforcing the company’s commitment to making a lasting societal impact beyond the finish line.
Amaury Sport Organisation (A.S.O.) CEO Yann Le Moenner welcomed the collaboration, stating, “We are delighted to welcome TCS to the Schneider Electric Paris Marathon family of partners. Thanks to its expertise in new technologies and artificial intelligence, TCS will continue to grow the event, strengthen the engagement of all audiences, and enrich the digital experience. Together, we aim to offer an ever more immersive and connected experience, serving both runners and spectators.”
TCS’ advanced AI solutions will optimise race logistics, provide predictive performance insights, and improve sustainability efforts reinforcing its reputation as a trusted technology partner. TCS chief marketing officer Abhinav Kumar emphasised, “Our partnership with the Schneider Electric Marathon de Paris aligns with TCS’ commitment of being a trusted transformation partner for our clients, communities, and the ecosystems in which we live and work. This engagement reflects our commitment to using technology towards empowering athletes, optimising race experiences, and transforming the future of sports.”
TCS France managing director Rammohan Gourneni said, “For the past 30 years, TCS has played a pivotal role in France as a technology provider. We are proud to continue our commitment to the community with this new partnership for the Schneider Electric Marathon de Paris. I look forward to engaging our clients and partners in this race as we harness our technology expertise and passion for AI and innovation to create an unforgettable marathon experience.”
With this latest partnership, TCS further cements its position at the intersection of sports, technology, and AI-driven transformation bringing the future of marathon running to the streets of Paris.
Digital
Sarvam AI launches Indus, India’s sovereign AI app
Government-backed beta brings 105B model to users
BENGALURU: India’s sovereign AI ambitions have moved from white papers to working product. Bengaluru-based Sarvam AI, founded by Vivek Raghavan and Pratyush Kumar, has opened limited beta access to Indus, a new conversational interface powered by its 105-billion-parameter sovereign model. The launch follows the company’s selection under the Government of India’s IndiaAI Mission to build a home-grown large language model.
For Sarvam, Indus is more than an app. It is proof of concept.
The company says its 105B model is smaller than the frontier systems that power global consumer chat platforms. That is by design. For now, the focus is on accuracy, efficiency and alignment with Indian contexts before scaling to larger foundational models. In other words, build steady, then build big.
True AI sovereignty, Sarvam argues, means owning the full stack. The first step was training foundational models from scratch in India. Indus is the next, giving India control over the data and interface layers as well.
Backed by the Centre, the project is positioned as part of the broader Atmanirbhar Bharat push. In a post on X, Sarvam said it is proud to have been selected to build India’s sovereign large language model, fluent in Indian languages, voice-enabled, capable of reasoning and ready for secure, population-scale deployment. The company thanked Prime Minister Narendra Modi and senior officials for their support.
Co-founder Pratyush Kumar struck a more rallying note. India, he wrote, must be a builder and not merely a consumer in this defining era of technology. Strategic autonomy starts now.
Indus is currently available in beta on iOS, Android and the web. Users can ask questions via text or voice and receive responses in both formats. Sign-in options include phone number, Google, Microsoft and Apple accounts. For now, access appears restricted to India.
There are early-stage wrinkles. Users cannot delete chat history without deleting their account. The reasoning feature cannot be switched off, which may slow responses at times. Compute capacity is limited, so new users may encounter a waitlist as access is gradually expanded.
Sarvam has made it clear that this is a work in progress. The company describes itself as being in listen mode, inviting feedback from developers, researchers, creators and everyday users. If sovereign AI is to mean anything, it says, it must be built with the country, not just for it.
The message is simple. Try Indus. Say what works. Say what does not. In the race for artificial intelligence, India is signalling it does not want to merely download the future. It wants to write it.
