A 25-year-old Indian innovator, Sparsh Agrawal, has introduced Luna, the world’s first speech-to-speech foundational AI model that can sing, whisper, pause, and express emotions like a human.
Developed under his Jaipur-based startup Pixa AI, Luna processes audio directly to generate expressive and emotionally aware speech, marking a breakthrough in conversational technology.
Unlike conventional systems that rely on converting speech to text and back, Luna’s architecture enables seamless, real-time emotional communication. The AI can modulate tone, express empathy, and even sing – offering an experience closer to human interaction.
Agrawal said his mission is to prove that world-class AI innovation can emerge from India.
“Where is India’s AI? Every WhatsApp group, every conference hallway, every founder call asks the same question. Today, we’re sharing the answer. Meet Luna,” he wrote on X.
BUILT WITHOUT BIG-TECH FUNDING
Luna’s development story is as inspiring as the technology itself. Agrawal, who graduated from IIT-BHU, built the model without access to major corporate infrastructure or large-scale funding.
“I didn’t have a research lab or a USD 100 million runway. I borrowed GPUs, cloud credits, and even took on credit card debt to build Luna,” he said.
Despite these constraints, benchmark tests show Luna outperforming leading systems like OpenAI’s GPT-4 TTS and ElevenLabs — achieving 50 percent lower latency and superior naturalness in speech output.
FROM IDEA TO IMPACT
Backed by investors such as Kunal Shah, Nikhil Kamath, and Kunal Kapoor, Pixa AI aims to make Luna the ‘voice layer’ for the entertainment, wellness, and automotive sectors. Early interest has already come from automakers, gaming companies, and consumer AI platforms.
“While most voice models are built for customer support, Luna is built for emotion,” Agrawal said. “It’s not just about responding, it’s about feeling.”
He was recently lauded by Union IT Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw and industry veterans for his pioneering achievement. HCL co-founder Ajai Chowdhry praised the innovation, calling it “an amazing product – India’s first.”
MAKING INDIA A HUB FOR EMOTIONAL AI
Agrawal, who was the only solo founder selected from over 15,000 applicants to the WTFund, believes Luna is just the beginning. “This is proof that world-class technology can come from India – built with resourcefulness, not just resources,” he said.
Along with teammates Nitish Kartik, Apoorv Singh, and Pratyush Kumar, Agrawal hopes Luna will redefine how humans and machines communicate – placing India firmly on the map of emotionally intelligent AI.
(With inputs from PTI)
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