The Digital India BHASHINI Division (DIBD), under the Digital India Corporation (DIC), Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY), Government of India, conducted an interactive session at Kathmandu University with the University’s Center for Digital Public Infrastructure and Artificial Intelligence (DPI-AI) team, followed by a meeting with the Vice Chancellor. The engagement focused on exploring opportunities for joint collaboration in Language AI, with a shared interest in strengthening language technologies for Nepal.

Discussions highlighted the opportunity to strengthen existing language models while also creating new models for languages that remain underrepresented in AI. Particular attention was given to Nepali, Newari, Tamang and Gurung, along with traditional scripts including Prachalit Lipi and Ranjana Lipi, recognising the importance of taking Nepal’s linguistic diversity into the digital and AI ecosystem.

A key part of the conversation centred on the language data challenge. Building high-quality, representative datasets requires sustained collection and curation across languages, speakers and scripts. The discussion also touched upon improving translation capabilities and addressing the computing requirements needed to train, refine and scale language models.

The engagement also looked beyond model development towards real-world deployment, including the potential for voice-first solutions. The focus was on connecting language data, models and technology with applications that can create meaningful digital experiences in local languages.

As an academic and research institution, Kathmandu University, through its DPI-AI Centre, brings valuable capabilities in research, innovation and digital public infrastructure. The interaction provided a platform to exchange perspectives and explore areas where technology, research and local language expertise can come together to advance Language AI for Nepal.

About Digital India BHASHINI Division (DIBD)
The Digital India BHASHINI Division (DIBD), under the Digital India Corporation (DIC), Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY), is India’s national platform for AI-powered multilingual digital inclusion. BHASHINI powers over 800 government websites, has enabled more than 9 billion cumulative AI inferences, processes over 24 million AI inferences daily, and supports 36 Indian text languages, 23 Indian voice languages and 35 international languages, making Digital Public Infrastructure more accessible through Language AI.

About Kathmandu University (KU)
Kathmandu University (KU) is an autonomous, not-for-profit, self-funding public institution established by an Act of Parliament in 1991. Dedicated to academic excellence across classical and professional disciplines, the University places strong emphasis on research, technological literacy, leadership and community engagement. Its vision of bringing knowledge and technology to the service of mankind, along with its ethos of taking knowledge and skills “from the campus to the community,” reflects its commitment to translating academic expertise into meaningful societal impact.

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Vinod Kumar / Kanishk Sharma