New Delhi, September 2, 2026: The Digital India BHASHINI Division (DIBD), under the Digital India Corporation and Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY), has explored potential collaboration with Kathmandu University to advance Language AI solutions for Nepal, with discussions focusing on multilingual technologies, language data, scripts and voice-based applications.
Focus on Nepal’s Diverse Languages
The interaction took place at Kathmandu University with its Center for Digital Public Infrastructure and Artificial Intelligence (DPI-AI) team, followed by a meeting with the Vice Chancellor.
A major focus was on strengthening existing language models while developing new AI models for languages that remain underrepresented in the digital ecosystem. Discussions particularly covered Nepali, Newari, Tamang and Gurung, along with traditional writing systems such as Prachalit Lipi and Ranjana Lipi.
The discussions highlighted the importance of ensuring that Nepal’s linguistic diversity is represented in emerging artificial intelligence technologies.
Language Data Remains a Key Challenge
Participants also discussed the need for high-quality and representative language datasets. Building effective AI models requires sustained collection, verification and curation of data across different languages, communities, speakers and scripts.
Improving machine translation capabilities and addressing the computing resources required to train and scale language models were also identified as important areas for future cooperation.
Exploring Voice-First Digital Solutions
The engagement extended beyond language-model development to practical applications of Language AI. Voice-based and voice-first solutions were discussed as a potential avenue for making digital services more accessible to people who may prefer interacting with technology in their native languages.
The broader objective is to connect language data, AI models and digital applications in ways that can create more meaningful local-language experiences.
Potential for Academic and Technology Collaboration
Kathmandu University’s DPI-AI Centre brings together academic research, technological innovation and digital public infrastructure expertise. The interaction provided an opportunity for both sides to exchange ideas and identify areas where research capabilities and local-language knowledge could complement India’s experience in multilingual AI.
Such cooperation could contribute to the development of language technologies that better reflect Nepal’s linguistic landscape while supporting wider digital inclusion.
BHASHINI’s Multilingual AI Mission
The Digital India BHASHINI Division is India’s national platform for AI-powered multilingual digital inclusion. According to the information shared by the government, BHASHINI supports more than 800 government websites, has enabled over 9 billion cumulative AI inferences and processes more than 24 million AI inferences every day.
The platform currently supports 36 Indian text languages, 23 Indian voice languages and 35 international languages, with the broader goal of making digital public infrastructure more accessible through language technologies.
The Kathmandu University engagement represents a potential step towards sharing expertise and exploring new applications of multilingual AI beyond India.
