In a major step towards strengthening digital inclusion and making government procurement opportunities accessible to businesses across the country, the Digital India BHASHINI Division (DIBD) and the Government e-Marketplace (GeM) have entered into a strategic partnership to introduce advanced multilingual capabilities across India's public procurement ecosystem.
The collaboration, formalized through a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) under the “BHASHINI for Seva/Sanchalan – A BHASHINI Sahayogi Program,” aims to leverage cutting-edge artificial intelligence (AI)-powered language technologies to ensure that government procurement services become more accessible to users in their preferred Indian languages.
The initiative aligns with the Government of India’s broader Digital India vision, which seeks to bridge linguistic divides and ensure equitable access to digital public services for citizens, businesses, startups, and entrepreneurs across the nation.
India is home to one of the world's most linguistically diverse populations, with hundreds of languages and dialects spoken across states and regions. While digital governance platforms have expanded significantly in recent years, language barriers have often prevented many businesses—particularly those operating in regional markets—from fully participating in government procurement opportunities.
The partnership between BHASHINI and GeM seeks to address this challenge by enabling seamless multilingual interactions throughout the procurement lifecycle.
The initiative is expected to benefit:
By allowing users to access procurement-related information and services in their native languages, the collaboration aims to create a more inclusive and transparent marketplace.
The partnership will leverage BHASHINI's advanced AI ecosystem to support multilingual governance and service delivery.
The collaboration will support communication across:
Through AI-driven translation and speech technologies, users will be able to navigate procurement services more efficiently and comfortably.
Under the agreement, both organizations will jointly develop:
These capabilities are expected to improve user experience and reduce dependency on English-language interfaces.
The MoU outlines collaboration on several flagship BHASHINI initiatives, including:
These programs are designed to strengthen India's multilingual digital public infrastructure and make government services more accessible through natural language interactions.
The Ministry of Electronics & Information Technology (MeitY) emphasized that eliminating language barriers can significantly improve participation in public procurement, particularly among businesses operating in India's diverse linguistic landscape.
Industry experts and policymakers increasingly recognize language technology as a key enabler of Ease of Doing Business (EoDB).
The partnership is expected to:
By making procurement systems more accessible, the initiative could help unlock new growth opportunities for thousands of businesses that may previously have been constrained by language-related challenges.
The MoU also includes provisions for:
These efforts aim to strengthen India's language technology ecosystem while improving digital literacy among stakeholders.
Speaking on the occasion, Ajit B. Chavan, Additional Chief Executive Officer and Chief Seller Officer at GeM, highlighted the significance of the collaboration.
“The collaboration aims to leverage BHASHINI’s AI-powered language technologies to break linguistic barriers in public procurement and make GeM more accessible to buyers and sellers across the country,” he said.
Similarly, Amitabh Nag, Chief Executive Officer of the Digital India BHASHINI Division, emphasized the role of language inclusivity in digital governance.
“BHASHINI is committed to making digital public infrastructure truly inclusive by enabling citizens and enterprises to interact in their preferred Indian languages. Our collaboration with GeM will help democratize access to public procurement through multilingual and voice-enabled technologies, ensuring that language is no longer a barrier to participation. Together, we are empowering local businesses, MSMEs, startups, and Swadeshi enterprises to connect with national opportunities while strengthening India’s vision of a digitally inclusive economy,” Nag said.
Operating under MeitY through the Digital India Corporation, BHASHINI has rapidly emerged as a key pillar of India's multilingual AI ecosystem.
Today, BHASHINI:
Through the National Hub for Language Technology (NHLT), the platform provides speech and text-based AI services to governments, institutions, businesses, and public platforms.
The platform also promotes:
The partnership between BHASHINI and GeM represents a significant milestone in India's journey toward inclusive digital governance. By integrating AI-powered multilingual capabilities into the public procurement ecosystem, the initiative seeks to remove one of the most persistent barriers faced by businesses across the country—language.
With support for all 22 officially recognized Indian languages, voice-enabled services, AI-powered translations, and multilingual digital infrastructure, the collaboration is expected to make government procurement more transparent, accessible, and efficient. As India continues to expand its digital public infrastructure, the BHASHINI-GeM partnership has the potential to empower MSMEs, startups, and local enterprises, ensuring that economic opportunities are available to businesses from every corner of the country regardless of the language they speak.