DeepSeek’s success shows India can compete in AI without massive capital: Cerebras CEO Andrew Feldman

Andrew Feldman, CEO of AI chip company Cerebras Systems, has underscored the growing potential for countries like India to lead in AI development, noting that small, highly skilled teams can now build world-class models without needing massive capital.

In an interview with Moneycontrol on the sidelines of the Web Summit Qatar 2025, Feldman pointed to the recent success of DeepSeek—an AI foundation model developed by a small team—as evidence that the days of requiring billions of dollars to compete in AI are over.

“Teams from India, teams from anywhere, can now do the same with lower cost of capital: Feldman told Moneycontrol.

The success of DeepSeek reignited conversations around India’s AI ambitions, showing that countries with the right talent and infrastructure can develop competitive AI systems without excessive financial backing.

Also Read: DeepSeek's LLM success triggers big debate: Is India's hesitation a strategic mistake?

When asked whether India should focus on developing massive foundation models or fine-tuning smaller, domain-specific models, Feldman stressed that the debate isn’t about scale but about purpose.

“The discussion around big versus small models should center on the use case and the quality of data,” he explains. “That’s where companies should focus.”

While large models are essential for tasks requiring deep reasoning and broad generalization, smaller models are often more efficient and cost-effective for specific applications.

Cerebras Systems, the Silicon Valley-based AI chip company, is also ramping up its investment in India through data centres and talent acquisition.

The company, known for its wafer-scale AI processors, sees India as a critical market due to its top-tier universities and highly skilled workforce.

Also Read: India should be creating AI; evaluating locations to set up a data centre here: Cerebras CEO Andrew Feldman

"India should be creating AI, and they should be running it on Cerebras equipment. So we intend to increase our investment over time in India. We have an office in Bengaluru, some people in Hyderabad, and we expect to grow," Feldman said.

Note: The reporter is in Doha covering Web Summit Qatar 2025.