Shodh AI, one of the twelve foundational model companies selected under the Government of India’s flagship IndiaAI Mission, has announced the launch of Project Skanda, a breakthrough initiative that positions India firmly in the global Physical AI race.
As an AI-for-Science company focused on advanced material discovery, Shodh AI developed Project Skanda in collaboration with NVIDIA. Through this partnership, the company aims to redefine how batteries and energy storage systems are designed, tested, and manufactured.
During the India AI Impact Summit, Shodh AI unveiled the Alpha Release of Project Skanda, one of the world’s first Mesoscale Foundation Models built specifically for energy storage. Unlike conventional AI models that concentrate on atomic-level chemistry, Skanda focuses on the mesoscale—the internal structural architecture within battery cells that directly determines lifespan, safety, and charging speed.
Moreover, the model trains exclusively for battery manufacturers, enabling them to dramatically accelerate material discovery timelines. According to Arastu Sharma, Project Skanda uses NVIDIA Hopper GPUs and the PhysicsNeMo framework to bridge the long-standing gap between theoretical research and real-world manufacturing.
“Today, users can upload an SEM image and receive accurate predictions of a battery’s life cycle,” Dr. Sharma said. “However, within a year, we will allow users to request an entirely new battery chemistry, and Skanda will deliver the complete methodology to manufacture it.”
Currently, battery innovation takes nearly a decade and costs millions of dollars. In contrast, Shodh AI aims to compress this process to just six months while keeping costs under $1 million, fundamentally transforming industrial R&D economics.
Highlighting the broader impact of the collaboration, Tim Costa, General Manager at NVIDIA, said that AI is rapidly accelerating scientific discovery. He added that Shodh AI’s use of NVIDIA’s technology creates a strong foundation for sovereign AI models capable of transforming India’s energy and technology ecosystems.
By combining advanced artificial intelligence with robotic automation, Shodh AI continues to position itself as a cornerstone of India’s scientific future. At the center of this ambition lies a national vision championed by Narendra Modi—that India must create foundational technologies rather than rely on innovation developed elsewhere.
“Our interaction with the Hon’ble Prime Minister reinforced a clear mandate,” Dr. Sharma said. “India must move from consuming technology to inventing it.” As a result, Shodh AI has received direct recognition for its leadership in building the nation’s scientific and technological backbone.
Meanwhile, the company is shifting its focus from Large Language Models to Large Science Models. Powered by its collaboration with NVIDIA, the same core platform is now extending into healthcare, biotechnology, and quantum material research.
Through India’s first Autonomous Robotic Material Foundry, Shodh AI enables AI systems to not only predict next-generation materials but also synthesize them autonomously. Consequently, this approach bridges theory and reality at an unprecedented scale.
Ultimately, Project Skanda represents a decisive transition from “Make in India” to “Invent in India,” ensuring that India does not merely participate in the future of science and AI but actively builds it for the world.
