IndiaAI Launches Varya, Affordable AI Video Story Generator

The IndiaAI Mission, under the Ministry of Electronics and IT, has launched 'Varya,' an indigenous AI model designed to generate video stories efficiently and affordably. Developed by Avataar.ai with support from the IndiaAI Mission, Varya was unveiled on June 12, 2026, in New Delhi by Shri S. Krishnan, Secretary, MeitY, alongside Avataar's leadership team.

Varya uses a cutting-edge distillation technique to reduce video generation steps from 50 to just 4, making it up to 10 times more efficient than leading global models. According to Avataar, the model can generate videos at a cost of ₹0.48 per second, making high-quality video content creation accessible to a broader audience in India.

The AI model is tailored to India's diverse cultural contexts, enabling users to create videos reflecting regional traditions, festivals, and everyday life. It is expected to benefit sectors like education, e-commerce, and public information dissemination, empowering users from teachers in rural areas to small businesses creating advertisements.

The development of Varya was made possible through subsidized access to India's national AI compute infrastructure, showcasing how public investment can drive innovation. Avataar plans to release a technical report detailing the model's architecture and benchmarks.

Speaking at the launch, Shri S. Krishnan highlighted Varya as a milestone in India's AI journey, emphasizing its role in fostering inclusive and scalable AI solutions. Avataar's CEO, Sravanth Aluru, underscored the importance of affordability in AI, stating that Varya aims to democratize video content creation for India's 1.4 billion people.