India and Nepal Join Hands to Build AI-Powered Multilingual Language Platform

In a significant step toward strengthening regional digital cooperation, India and Nepal have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to jointly develop advanced multilingual language technologies and Digital Public Infrastructure (DPI). The initiative is expected to enhance digital inclusion, improve access to public services, and promote the use of local languages through Artificial Intelligence (AI)-powered solutions.

The agreement brings together the Digital India BHASHINI Division (DIBD), operating under the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY), and Kathmandu University’s Centre for Digital Public Infrastructure and Artificial Intelligence (DPI-AI).

The collaboration reflects the growing importance of language technology in bridging digital divides and ensuring that technology benefits diverse linguistic communities across South Asia.

India-Nepal Partnership Strengthens Digital Cooperation

The MoU was formally signed by Amitabh Nag, CEO of the Digital India BHASHINI Division, and Prof. Bal Krishna Bal, Associate Dean of Kathmandu University. The exchange of the agreement took place in the presence of External Affairs Minister Dr. S. Jaishankar and Nepal’s Foreign Minister Shishir Khanal during bilateral engagements in New Delhi.

The signing highlights the shared vision of both nations to deepen collaboration in emerging technologies, artificial intelligence, and digital transformation initiatives. It also aligns with broader regional efforts to create inclusive digital ecosystems that can serve citizens regardless of language or literacy barriers.

Focus on Language AI and Voice-First Technologies

A major objective of the partnership is the development of a "voice-first" language translation ecosystem for Nepal. By leveraging AI-driven language technologies, the initiative seeks to make digital services more accessible to users who prefer interacting through speech rather than text.

The collaboration will support the creation of:

• High-quality Nepali language datasets
• Speech corpora for AI model training
• Speech-to-text systems
• Text-to-speech technologies
• Machine translation tools
• Multilingual conversational AI platforms

These technologies are expected to improve communication, digital governance, and access to information across different linguistic communities.

Promoting Inclusive Digital Public Services

One of the key goals of the agreement is to enable multilingual digital public services in Nepal. Through the adoption of advanced language technologies, citizens will be able to access government services and digital platforms in their preferred languages.

Addressing Language and Literacy Barriers

Language remains one of the biggest obstacles to digital adoption in many developing regions. The partnership aims to overcome these challenges by creating AI-powered solutions that allow users to engage with digital services using speech and local languages.

This approach is particularly important for rural populations, elderly citizens, and communities with limited digital literacy. By making technology more intuitive and accessible, the initiative can help ensure broader participation in the digital economy.

Supporting Regional Digital Inclusion

The project aligns with the growing global emphasis on inclusive digital transformation. International organizations have increasingly highlighted the importance of language accessibility in achieving equitable access to education, healthcare, governance, and economic opportunities.

Preserving Linguistic and Cultural Heritage

Beyond technology development, the collaboration will focus on safeguarding the rich linguistic diversity of the India-Nepal region.

Digitising Low-Resource Languages

Many local and indigenous languages face the risk of being left behind in the digital era due to the lack of digital resources and AI training data. The partnership aims to preserve and digitise the linguistic and literary heritage of underrepresented languages.

By creating digital language assets and AI models for these languages, the initiative will help ensure that communities can continue to use and promote their native languages in the digital world.

Protecting Cultural Identity Through Technology

Language is closely tied to culture, identity, and heritage. The use of AI to support local languages can help preserve cultural traditions while making them more accessible to future generations.

Leveraging BHASHINI’s Technology Ecosystem

The collaboration will utilize BHASHINI’s open and interoperable language technology ecosystem, which has become a key component of India's Digital Public Infrastructure framework.

Joint Research and Capacity Building

The MoU includes provisions for:

Research and Innovation

Both institutions will undertake joint research projects focused on Natural Language Processing (NLP), multilingual AI, and Digital Public Infrastructure.

Training and Skill Development

The partnership will support capacity-building programmes, workshops, and training initiatives designed to develop expertise in AI and language technologies.

Pilot Projects and Technology Testing

Several pilot projects are expected to be launched to evaluate new language technologies and assess their effectiveness in real-world applications.

New Opportunities for Education and Digital Economy

Officials believe the initiative will create significant opportunities across multiple sectors in Nepal.

Enhanced language technologies can improve access to educational resources, support skill development programmes, facilitate digital commerce, and strengthen public service delivery. Students, entrepreneurs, researchers, and professionals are expected to benefit from improved digital accessibility and multilingual tools.

Leaders Highlight Importance of Collaboration

Amitabh Nag stated that the partnership represents an important step toward extending inclusive language technology beyond India's borders. He emphasized that BHASHINI’s Digital Public Infrastructure model has the potential to improve digital access for millions across South Asia while strengthening shared linguistic and cultural heritage.

Prof. Bal Krishna Bal noted that the agreement demonstrates a shared commitment by India and Nepal to leverage artificial intelligence for linguistic inclusion and social impact. He added that the collaboration would encourage research, innovation, and capacity-building while ensuring that linguistic diversity remains an advantage in the digital era.

BHASHINI’s Growing Role in Multilingual AI

BHASHINI has emerged as a cornerstone of India’s efforts to democratize digital access through language technology.

Currently, the platform supports:

• 36 Indian text languages
• 23 Indian voice languages
• 35 international languages

Through its National Hub for Language Technology, BHASHINI powers more than 800 government websites and processes over 15 million AI inferences every day. These capabilities position it as one of the world's most ambitious multilingual AI ecosystems focused on public service delivery and digital inclusion.

Conclusion

The India-Nepal MoU on multilingual language technologies marks an important milestone in regional cooperation on artificial intelligence and Digital Public Infrastructure.

By combining BHASHINI’s advanced language ecosystem with Kathmandu University’s research expertise, the partnership aims to create a robust "voice-first" digital environment that supports linguistic diversity, expands access to public services, and promotes inclusive digital growth.

As AI increasingly shapes the future of governance, education, and commerce, this collaboration demonstrates how technology can be leveraged to empower communities, preserve cultural heritage, and bridge digital divides across South Asia.