Mishustin requires public-sector buyers to purchase Sberbank and Yandex AI models

Premier Mishustin mandates state procurement agencies to purchase AI models from Sberbank and Yandex. The Prime Minister has instructed the introduction of amendments to government procurement legislation to ensure guaranteed demand for domestic AI models from Sberbank and Yandex. This step is part of a broader and more ambitious strategy for import substitution in the field of artificial intelligence, as well as for strengthening Russian technological sovereignty and independence from foreign providers.

How domestic models will be supported in government procurement

The essence of the amendments is that when selecting AI solutions for government institutions and authorities, Russian developments will receive priority. Government procurement agencies will be directed toward models from Sberbank and Yandex, rather than foreign analogs from OpenAI, Google or other international providers. This will create guaranteed demand and allow domestic companies to develop more stably and predictably, investing in long-term projects without fear of losing a customer.

The mechanism is quite simple: if a government institution chooses an AI solution, it must first consider Russian options, evaluate their compliance with functional requirements and only then, in case of insufficient functionality, turn to foreign platforms. This is not a hard ban on foreign models, but rather a prioritization of domestic ones when they are capable of performing the work. Thus, Sberbank and Yandex gain a guaranteed market where they compete not with American giants from Silicon Valley, but with each other and with potential Russian competitors.

What is included in the comprehensive AI industry development plan

In addition to priority in government procurement, the authorities are preparing a broader and more comprehensive support package for the Russian AI industry, which covers several development areas:

• Guaranteed demand for AI models from Sberbank and Yandex in government orders, institutions and authorities at various levels
• Stimulating demand for domestic computing infrastructure and server equipment for training, deploying and supporting AI models
• Long-term financing of major investment projects in the development of Russian artificial intelligence through government funds, programs and special credit lines
• Customs and regulatory measures for import substitution in critical AI components, chips and computing architectures

This creates a sort of "protected market" for domestic developers, similar to how the state traditionally supports the development of local industry in sectors critical to national security and sovereignty. For Yandex and Sberbank, this means they can plan large-scale investments with confidence, knowing they have a reliable, large and growing government customer with predictable procurement volumes.

Why this is critical for Russian artificial intelligence

Russian AI companies have long operated under conditions of asymmetric competition, where the playing field was clearly not level. On one side of the scale are multi-billion dollar investments in Western AI companies (OpenAI, Google, Meta, Anthropic, Microsoft), on the other are hundreds of millions that investors are willing to invest in Russian projects. Western models often proved cheaper, more functional and more in demand, which is explained not only by better implementation, but also by the huge scale of investments, a developed scientific base and a huge global user audience.

State support and guaranteed demand allow Russian companies to level the playing field at least on the domestic market. Guaranteed government contracts will provide them with a strong financial foundation for investments in fundamental research, for hiring and retaining the best specialists and scientists, as well as for competing with Western counterparts already on the global market in the future.

What this means for the economy and technology

Government procurement will become a powerful and long-term catalyst for the development of the Russian AI market and the entire ecosystem around it. This approach allows the state to simultaneously solve two critical tasks: create stable internal demand for the development of domestic technology and guarantee itself access to AI solutions that are not dependent on Western sanctions and supply disruptions from foreign providers. For Yandex and Sberbank, this means the opportunity to invest in long-term scientific research, develop their own fundamental models and position themselves as competitors at the global level.

This creates conditions for the emergence of "Russian OpenAI" or "Russian Claude" that can compete with Western counterparts not only on the territory of the RF, but also on the global market.

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