In talks with fintechs, retail firms to integrate Bhashini platform: Amitabh Nag

Interview with Amitabh Nag, CEO, Bhashini

Fintech and e-commerce firms are actively working with government’s National Language Translation Project, Bhashini, to offer their platform services in multiple languages, both text and voice.

This could include accessing app content, giving voice commands for payments or filing forms, grievances redressal chats and so on—all in native languages.

“Thera are private organisations which are talking to us. Many of these are working with purpose-driven data collected from their system. These companies, especially financial, will help us test our systems better,” said Amitabh Nag, chief executive officer, Bhashini.

The open-source AI platform is a part of the Digital India's National Language Translation Mission under the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY).

The idea is to bridge the linguistic divide and have people access and process information, in the form of voice or text, in local languages.

Since its launch in 2022, Bhashini has been working with multiple stakeholders, including government, academia, research groups, startups, banks, industry players, and data collection companies to test the tool and build multiple use-cases.

“The fintech sector is very active, especially the ones focused on banking-the-unbanked. The other sector is retail. They also want to bring inclusivity for both merchants and buyers.  We are doing some POCs (proof-of-concepts) with them,” the chief executive added.

As per sources, Paytm is among the slew of fintechs that are in talks with the Bhashini team for testing their system. Having said that, major announcements are likely to be made only by end of 2024.

Expanding use-cases

Enabling voice-based payments in multiple languages (real-time) is among the biggest use cases of the project.

In October, NPCI collaborated with Bhashini to launch Hello! UPI, a voice-enabled UPI payments feature.

Currently available in Hindi and English, the service will soon be offered in three more languages, Nag confirmed to moneycontrol.

“Work is on. It will be launched anytime soon by NPCI,” he said.

Both the teams are also working to expand the use cases to other functions like making recharges, checking bank accounts, processing electricity payments, challans, renew insurance policies through voice commands in Indian languages.

“Document and video translation are low hanging fruits. If we can enable a person to do his daily transaction in his mother tongue, and also transform it to voice-based transactions, that will be the real achievement,” the CEO added.

Similar services are being developed for PM-Kisan app, wherein farmers are able to get information, text and voice (via AI chatbots), in their preferred local language.

The Reserve Bank’s frictionless credit system also uses Bhashini’s translation system to offer digital lending.

As more and more stakeholders collaborate with the government tool, test systems with their “purpose-driven” data, the platform will be able to churn out more use cases.

“Filling government or private forms by giving voice commands, getting legal advice in native language, understanding the benefits of a government scheme…the possibilities are endless,” said Nag while pitching for more organisations to collaborate.

At present, Bhashini has 22 languages for text-to-text translations, and 12 for voice-to-text in its repository.

Of this, six languages are still under development as data collection remains a challenge. “We are 200 people on ground working on this,” Nag informs.

Further, the platform also signed an MoU with Nasscom Foundation to leverage the latter’s partner network and on-ground workforce for spreading digital literacy and AI content into regional languages.

“The idea is to equip the youth with necessary education on new technologies, and at the same time teach people in smaller regions on accessing government and private services in their local languages,” Nidhi Bhasin, CEO, Nasscom foundation said.