The Digital India BHASHINI Division, in strategic collaboration with REVA University, hosted the "BHASHINI Samanvay – BHASHINI Hackathon Outreach: Bengaluru Chapter" today at the REVA University campus. This landmark initiative represents a pivotal step in engaging India's academic community, researchers, and young innovators to develop transformative language AI solutions focused on governance, social impact, and cultural preservation.

Transforming India's Digital Landscape Through AI

Speaking at the event, Shri Amitabh Nag, CEO, Digital India BHASHINI Division, emphasized the revolutionary potential of AI in today's context. "AI is no longer a toy—it is a powerful tool for entrepreneurs," he declared. "We are creating a digital dictionary for the nation, aiming to bridge the digital, language, and literacy divide. With initiatives like BHASHINI, we're not just preserving culture, but enhancing it through inclusivity and advanced technological tools."

The initiative underscores the critical importance of collaboration among academic institutions, technology companies, and entrepreneurs in building a robust AI ecosystem that serves India's diverse linguistic landscape.

Strategic Partnership with Academia

Dr. P. Shyama Raju, Chancellor of REVA University, reinforced the institution's commitment to AI-driven education. "At REVA, we are nurturing a new generation of ethical leaders who will use AI not just for innovation, but for inclusion and societal impact. Our goal is to empower students to address real-world challenges with intelligence, integrity, and empathy. Tools like BHASHINI align perfectly with our vision and accelerate our journey toward becoming a tech-driven university."

Shri Sanjay R Chitnis, Vice Chancellor, REVA University, provided strategic guidance to aspiring innovators: "Think of yourselves as innovators, not just students. Start by identifying opportunities, scale your ideas, explore monetization, and then move quickly from concept to execution."

India's Rising AI Prominence

Shri Ankit Bose, Head of NASSCOM AI, highlighted India's growing stature in the global AI arena. "India currently ranks 10th globally in Artificial Intelligence, and with the growing pool of talent in institutions like REVA University, we have the potential to scale even greater heights."

Comprehensive Hackathon Ecosystem

The Bengaluru chapter showcased multiple flagship hackathons with a combined prize pool of approximately INR 3 crore:

BHASHINI Startup Velocity 2.0: Developed in collaboration with the Central Information Commission (CIC) and Ministry of Youth Affairs, this hackathon focuses on building multilingual digital services for public-facing platforms including Digital Sansad, MyBharat, and the CIC portal.

BHASHINI Domain Innovation Challenge 1.0 (BDIC 1.0): Partnering with NIC Bureau of Immigration and NIC-NEXTGEN eHospital, this challenge addresses domain-specific AI use cases such as voice-based OPD transcription and multilingual counter assistants.

BHASHINI SANRAKSHAN Challenge: In partnership with the Government of Bihar, this initiative aims to develop AI solutions for preserving and enhancing accessibility of endangered scripts, regional languages, and heritage documents.

BHASHINI LEAP (Law Enforcement AI Challenge): Conducted with SVP National Police Academy and the National Police Academy, this challenge focuses on multilingual AI tools to support investigation, transcription, and communication within policing agencies.

Industry Leadership Insights Through Fireside Chats

The event featured distinguished fireside chat sessions that provided valuable insights into the AI landscape with Dr. Rohini Srivathsa, Chief Technology Officer - Microsoft India & South Asia and Smt. Shalini Kapoor, Ekstep Foundation. Both leaders emphasized the importance of responsible AI, cross-sector collaboration, and empowering local innovators to build scalable, culturally relevant solutions for India’s diverse population.

Karnataka Partnership Through Rajyam MoU

The Digital India BHASHINI Division has formalized a strategic collaboration with the Government of Karnataka through the Rajyam MoU, designed to empower the state through multilingual AI for comprehensive digital inclusion. This partnership is anchored in four foundational pillars:

1. BHASHINI Udyat: Integration of multilingual translation APIs into government platforms enabling service delivery in 22 regional languages
2. BHASHINI Mitra: Development and adaptation of domain-specific translation models to enhance language accessibility in government services
3. BHASHINI App Mitra: Deployment of language tools including grammar and spell checkers to improve communication and documentation in regional languages
4. BHASHINI Pravakta: Promotion and outreach of BHASHINI services to foster digital inclusion and linguistic diversity across educational and administrative ecosystems

Fostering Innovation Ecosystem

The event served as a dynamic platform bringing together students, developers, startups, institutional leaders, and senior officials from the Government of Karnataka. Through keynote sessions, panel discussions, and detailed briefings on flagship hackathons, the program created unprecedented opportunities for collaboration and co-creation within the BHASHINI ecosystem.

Vision for Inclusive Digital India

This initiative reinforces BHASHINI's pivotal role as a catalyst for inclusive, AI-powered governance solutions that are deeply rooted in India's remarkable linguistic and cultural richness. The collaboration with REVA University exemplifies our commitment to nurturing academic partnerships that drive meaningful social innovation through technology.

The successful Bengaluru chapter demonstrates the power of uniting cutting-edge technology with India's diverse linguistic heritage, creating pathways for sustainable, inclusive digital transformation that serves every citizen in their preferred language.

About Digital India BHASHINI Division
Digital India BHASHINI Division (DIBD) is an Independent Business Division under the Digital India Corporation, functioning under the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY), Government of India. It spearheads the BHASHINI (BHASHa INterface for India) initiative, which aims to break language barriers through cutting-edge AI technologies. BHASHINI is building an open, scalable platform to enable real-time translation and voice-based access to digital services in Indian languages—empowering citizens, enhancing digital inclusion, and supporting sectors like governance, education, healthcare, and commerce across India’s linguistic diversity.

About REVA University

REVA University, a State Private University established under the Government of Karnataka Act in 2012, is located in Bengaluru, India’s IT capital. Recognised by UGC and AICTE with an A+ NAAC grade, REVA offers 38 undergraduate, 31 postgraduate, and 20 Ph.D. programmes, along with minor, honours, certification, and diploma courses.

 

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(Release ID: 2132385)