The Digital India BHASHINI Division (DIBD), under the Digital India Corporation (DIC), Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY), and the Assam Innovation & Startup Foundation (AISF), a Section 8 company under the Department of Innovation, Incubation and Start-ups (DIIS), Government of Assam, have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to collaborate on promoting language technology, Generative AI solutions, and governance in vernacular languages while strengthening innovation and digital inclusion across Assam.

The partnership seeks to foster collaboration in areas related to language technologies, multilingual digital solutions, artificial intelligence, innovation, entrepreneurship, startup ecosystem development, and capacity building. Through this collaboration, both organisations will work towards enabling wider access to digital services and technological innovation through the use of Indian languages.

Under the MoU, DIBD and AISF will collaborate under the BHASHINI Rajyam initiative to facilitate multilingual access to AISF programmes, initiatives, digital platforms, and services through BHASHINI technologies. The collaboration will focus on the integration of DIBD's Language Translation APIs into official platforms and services, enhancement of translation services in Assamese and other local languages, development of reference applications and voice-enabled solutions, and enabling the collection, curation, and dissemination of linguistic data through Bhashadaan.

A key focus of the partnership will be to energise Assam's startup and innovation ecosystem by enabling startups, entrepreneurs, innovators, researchers, and academic institutions to leverage BHASHINI's language technology stack for building innovative multilingual AI use cases. The collaboration aims to encourage real-world deployment of language technologies across sectors and create opportunities for innovators to develop solutions tailored to local linguistic and regional requirements.

Through these deployments, the partnership will help establish valuable feedback loops that contribute to the continuous improvement of language AI models. The collaboration will also support the creation and enrichment of linguistic datasets, strengthening the quality, accuracy, and inclusivity of language technologies while fostering innovation-driven adoption across the state.

DIBD will offer AI-based translation services across government platforms, customise models to capture regional dialects and linguistic nuances, continuously improve translation models through machine learning and user feedback, and provide technical support, training, dashboards, and assistance for integration of BHASHINI APIs and technologies. AISF will facilitate the identification of linguistic needs, prioritise languages for translation services, support ecosystem participation, and encourage collaboration among startups, innovators, researchers, and institutions.

The collaboration aims to strengthen Assam's innovation ecosystem by encouraging the development of technology solutions that are accessible, inclusive, and responsive to the linguistic diversity of the region. It will also support efforts towards enhancing digital inclusion and expanding access to emerging technologies for citizens, entrepreneurs, and institutions.

As part of the collaboration, the two organisations may jointly undertake activities related to research, innovation, capacity building, ecosystem engagement, and the promotion of language technology initiatives that contribute to the growth of Assam's digital and innovation landscape.

The partnership reflects a shared commitment to leveraging technology and innovation to create greater opportunities for citizens and institutions while advancing the adoption of multilingual digital solutions across the state.

Shri Amitabh Nag, CEO, Digital India BHASHINI Division said - "At BHASHINI, our vision is to ensure that language never becomes a barrier to participation in India's digital transformation journey. Through this partnership with the Assam Innovation & Startup Foundation, we aim to empower startups, innovators, and entrepreneurs to build impactful multilingual AI solutions that address local needs and create real-world value. By encouraging innovation, fostering ecosystem participation, and strengthening linguistic datasets through continuous feedback and adoption, we can collectively advance language technologies while building a more inclusive and connected digital future."

About Digital India BHASHINI Division (DIBD)

The Digital India BHASHINI Division (DIBD), under Digital India Corporation (DIC), Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY), is India's national initiative for AI-driven multilingual digital inclusion and language technology. Through the National Hub for Language Technology (NHLT), BHASHINI enables scalable speech and text-based AI services across Indian languages for governance, public platforms, and institutions. The platform powers over 800 government websites, processes more than 15 million inferences daily, and supports 36 Indian text languages, 23 Indian voice languages, and 35 international languages. DIBD also drives open-source innovation, multilingual AI research, dataset creation, startup enablement, and academic collaboration, strengthening India's digital public infrastructure ecosystem.

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Dharmendra Tewari / Dr. Nayan Solanki / Kanishk Sharma