Manipur Signs MoU with BHASHINI to Advance Multilingual AI
Partnership aims to integrate language technology into public services, strengthen local-language data and make digital platforms more accessible.
- Manipur signs MoU with Digital India BHASHINI
- Workshop held in Imphal on October 14
- English-to-Manipuri translation demonstrated live
- Partnership targets accessible multilingual government services
GG News Bureau
Imphal, 15th Oct: The Digital India BHASHINI Division (DIBD) and the Government of Manipur have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to advance multilingual artificial intelligence and expand the use of language technology in government and citizen-facing digital services.
The agreement was signed during the BHASHINI Rajyam Workshop – Manipur Chapter, held in Imphal on October 14 in collaboration with the state’s Department of Information Technology. The workshop was attended by Manipur Chief Minister Yumnam Khemchand Singh and brought together government representatives and other stakeholders to discuss ways to make digital services more accessible across languages.
The MoU was signed by Amitabh Nag, CEO of DIBD, and Somorjit Salam, Secretary of Information Technology, Government of Manipur. The partnership will focus on strengthening language resources, identifying priority applications and exploring the integration of BHASHINI technologies into relevant government platforms.
Addressing the gathering, Chief Minister Yumnam Khemchand Singh highlighted the potential of artificial intelligence to promote India’s linguistic diversity and bring more regional languages into the digital space. He said linguistic diversity could be a valuable strength as the state explores new opportunities through language technology.
Somorjit Salam emphasised that digital services must be understandable and accessible to the people they are designed to serve. He noted that BHASHINI could help address language barriers through carefully tested solutions tailored to Manipur’s needs.
The workshop showcased BHASHINI’s Language-First Digital Public Infrastructure, which combines language datasets, AI models, APIs and applications to support multilingual services. A live demonstration of real-time English-to-Manipuri translation highlighted how language technology could help bridge communication gaps.
Participants also discussed the importance of developing reliable language datasets and validating AI models with the involvement of language experts and local communities. The discussions covered potential applications in education, healthcare, legal services, governance and grievance redressal.
Manipur’s linguistic diversity, including Manipuri, Tangkhul, Thadou, Paite, Hmar and Liangmai, was highlighted as an important consideration in developing technology that reflects local communication needs. The workshop also introduced BHASHINI Shilpi, an interactive platform for developers, students and innovators, and highlighted the BHASHINI Mitra initiative to encourage language-data contributions from state institutions and communities.
As the next step, DIBD and the state government will identify priority use cases, assess language-data requirements and explore the integration of BHASHINI solutions into government platforms. The collaboration will also involve language experts and local communities in developing and validating tools suited to the state’s needs.
According to DIBD, BHASHINI supports text services in 36 Indian languages, voice services in 23 Indian languages and 35 international languages. The platform has enabled more than nine billion cumulative AI inferences and powers over 800 government websites, according to the information shared by the division.
