The government’s AI-powered language translation platform, Bhashini, translated Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman’s Union Budget 2024 speech into Hindi in real-time. This initiative aimed to make the budget presentation more accessible to a wider audience across the nation’s diverse linguistic landscape.
Bhashini, which has recently reduced its translation lag from 6 seconds to 1-2 seconds, provided simultaneous captions during the Finance Minister’s budget speech. This technological advancement is expected to enhance understanding and engagement with the budget among non-Hindi-speaking citizens.
The use of Bhashini for the Union Budget follows its successful deployment during Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s recent speech in Varanasi, where it translated his Hindi address into Tamil in real-time. The platform’s ability to handle complex financial terminology and policy language will be put to the test during the budget presentation.
Amitabh Nag, CEO of Bhashini, emphasised the platform’s commitment to breaking down language barriers and fostering greater digital participation. “Our goal is to create a more connected and inclusive digital ecosystem for all Indians,” Nag said.
The integration of Bhashini in the budget speech aligns with the government’s broader digital inclusion efforts. The platform, which supports 22 languages for text-to-text translations and 12 for voice-to-text, has been gaining traction in various sectors, including e-commerce, fintech, and government services.
Currently Bhashini is exploring paid service models for enterprises and institutions. The platform is currently processing 40 million inferences per month, indicating growing adoption and utility across different domains.
