Indian Institute of Technology (BHU) Varanasi alumnus Sparsh Agrawal has developed Luna, the world’s first speech-to-speech foundational AI capable of singing, whispering, and expressing emotions. Built without major tech backing, Luna positions India as a frontrunner in emotionally intelligent AI innovation.
Developed under Agrawal’s Jaipur-based startup, Pixa AI, Luna processes audio directly to produce expressive and emotionally aware speech.
Unlike traditional systems that convert speech to text and back, Luna’s architecture enables seamless, real-time emotional communication.
The AI can modulate tone, express empathy, and even sing, creating a human-like interaction experience.
Agrawal said his goal is to demonstrate that top-tier AI innovation can emerge from India.
“Where is India’s AI? Every WhatsApp group, every conference, every founder call asks this. Today, we have the answer. Meet Luna,” he wrote on X.
Agrawal, who graduated from IIT-BHU, built Luna without access to large-scale corporate infrastructure or 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 limitations, benchmark tests show Luna outperforming systems like OpenAI’s GPT-4 TTS and ElevenLabs — delivering 50 percent lower latency and more natural speech output.
Backed by investors including Kunal Shah, Nikhil Kamath, and Kunal Kapoor, Pixa AI aims to make Luna the “voice layer” across entertainment, wellness, and automotive industries. 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,” said Agrawal. “It’s not just about responding — it’s about feeling.”
Union IT Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw and industry leaders have lauded Agrawal’s work. HCL co-founder Ajai Chowdhry called Luna “an amazing product – India’s first.”
Agrawal, the only solo founder selected from over 15,000 applicants to the WTFund, believes Luna is just the start.
“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 aims to redefine human-machine communication and establish India as a global leader in emotional AI.
