Two years ago, India launched its most ambitious digital project: Bhashini. Recently, the project provided its most high-profile proof of concept, when Gates Foundation chairman Bill Gates and Prime Minister Narendra Modi engaged each other without the customary interpreters. And this even though the PM spoke in Hindi.
Instead, Gates was equipped with a headpiece powered by Artificial Intelligence, which enabled a real-time translation of PM Modi’s remarks in Hindi.
To unpack the contours and scope of this project that seeks to bridge the language divide by allowing India’s 22 languages to converse with each other using this innovation, StratNews Global spoke to Amitabh Nag, CEO, Bhashini.
Anil Padmanabhan has been a journalist for the last 36 years. He has worked in various capacities in several publications including Afternoon Despatch & Courier, Press Trust of India, Business Standard, Mint and was based in New York for India Today. He was a Nieman Fellow in 2001. He tweets at @capitalcalculus.
