Preserving India’s Linguistic Diversity
India is home to 461 tribal languages spoken by Scheduled Tribes, including 71 distinct mother tongues, according to the Census of India 2011. Alarmingly, 81 of these languages are classified as vulnerable and 42 are critically endangered, facing extinction due to shrinking intergenerational use and lack of documentation.
Adi Vaani addresses this crisis by digitising and preserving these languages, ensuring their survival in the digital era. It will also serve as the foundation for a future large language model (LLM) dedicated to tribal languages, positioning India at the forefront of AI-driven linguistic preservation.
The translator has been developed by a consortium of premier institutions led by IIT Delhi, with BITS Pilani, IIIT Hyderabad, and IIIT Nava Raipur as partners. Tribal Research Institutes (TRIs) in Jharkhand, Odisha, Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, and Meghalaya are closely involved to ensure community participation and linguistic accuracy.
Adi Vaani uses refined models such as Meta’s No Language Left Behind (NLLB) and IndicTrans2 for handling low-resource tribal languages. Features include:
- Real-time translation of text and speech between Hindi/English and tribal languages.
- Text-to-Text, Text-to-Speech, Speech-to-Text, and Speech-to-Speech conversions.
- Optical Character Recognition (OCR) for digitising manuscripts and primers.
- Bilingual dictionaries and curated cultural repositories.
- Subtitles for Prime Minister’s speeches, healthcare advisories, and information on government schemes.
Languages Supported in Beta
In its Beta release, Adi Vaani supports four major tribal languages:
- Santali (Odisha)
- Bhili (Madhya Pradesh)
- Mundari (Jharkhand)
- Gondi (Chhattisgarh)
Additional languages such as Kui and Garo are under development for the next phase, ensuring wider coverage across India’s tribal belts.
Transformative Impact
Adi Vaani is not just a translator—it is a national mission. By enabling education in native tongues, supporting healthcare communication, and improving access to government services, the platform promises to empower millions of tribal citizens.
The initiative also aims to preserve folklore, oral traditions, and cultural heritage, digitising knowledge systems for future generations. With tribal participation at its core, the project aligns with flagship missions such as Digital India, Ek Bharat Shreshtha Bharat, Adi Karmayogi Abhiyan, and PM JANMAN.
Way Forward
The Ministry of Tribal Affairs has invited educators, researchers, and cultural practitioners to join this collaborative effort. By combining cutting-edge AI with grassroots participation, India hopes to become a global leader in using technology for linguistic and cultural preservation.
As the Beta version rolls out, the Ministry envisions scaling Adi Vaani into a comprehensive language ecosystem that promotes inclusion, education, and equitable access to public services for tribal communities across the nation.