India's 1st AI server launched: Know why IT minister used Malayalam word ‘Adipoli’ to praise it

Union Minister for Electronics and Information Technology Ashwini Vaishnaw on Friday (18 April ’25) showcased India’s first fully designed artificial intelligence (AI) server, developed by VVDN Technologies. Interestingly, Vaishnaw called it ‘Adipoli’—a Malayalam word meaning “awesome,” “fantastic,” or “super.” The short form, ‘Poli’, is also commonly used to mean “super” or “awesome.” He used the term after VVDN Technologies briefed him on the project, including the detail that 80 per cent of the work happened in Kerala’s Kochi.

Vaishnaw highlighted that the server is equipped with eight GPUs and was completely designed in India. He underlined the country’s growing strength in advanced electronics and artificial intelligence. The Minister praised VVDN Technologies for their efforts and called the launch a major step forward for the ‘Make in India’ initiative.

He also noted that Indian-made electronic products are becoming increasingly reliable and globally competitive. Vaishnaw emphasised that India’s focus on protecting intellectual property rights is gaining recognition in international markets, boosting investor confidence and encouraging innovation in the country. Speaking at VVDN Technologies' Global Innovation Park in Manesar, where he inaugurated a new Surface Mount Technology (SMT) Line, the Minister highlighted the rapid strides made under the government's 'Make in India' initiative. “Over a period of time, India has developed strong capabilities in electronics design. These capabilities now include products related to the automobile sector, power electronics, signalling, and security systems. Designing and manufacturing of such products is increasingly happening within India, which is a significant achievement under the Prime Minister's 'Make in India' program,” he told reporters. “With the recent addition electronic component scheme, the depth and scope of development will further expand. Moreover, the reliability of Indian products and the country's commitment to respecting intellectual property rights are gaining global recognition,” he added. He noted the emergence of large-scale design teams within manufacturing firms as a key development in the electronics sector. “We are here in a facility which has a design team as big as 5,000 engineers. These young engineers are designing some of the most complex products, embedded with AI, moving far beyond legacy systems,” he said. Calling this a “big leap,” Vaishnaw stressed that India's edge lies in its design talent.

“This is very important because this is going to give us that big advantage compared to many other countries which don't have this much design talent,” he said.

Vaishnaw noted that India’s electronics manufacturing has grown fivefold in the past decade, touching Rs 11 lakh crore. Exports have increased six times to over Rs 3.5 lakh crore.