Will BharatGen AI Support All 22 Scheduled Indian Languages by June 2026?

Synopsis
Key Takeaways
- BharatGen AI aims to support all 22 scheduled Indian languages.
- Current support includes nine languages with plans to expand.
- It focuses on ethical, inclusive, and culturally aware AI.
- The initiative will benefit rural and semi-urban areas once operational.
- Research partnerships may enhance its capabilities.
New Delhi, Aug 6 (NationPress) The government's BharatGen AI initiative is set to encompass all 22 scheduled Indian languages by June 2026, as revealed in Parliament on Wednesday.
This initiative is a significant step towards the development of sovereign foundational AI models that are specifically designed to meet the linguistic and cultural needs of India.
Currently, BharatGen supports nine languages: Hindi, Marathi, Tamil, Malayalam, Bengali, Punjabi, Gujarati, Telugu, and Kannada, as noted by the Minister of State (Independent Charge) for Science and Technology and Earth Sciences, Dr. Jitendra Singh, in a written response to Lok Sabha.
By December 2025, this coverage will broaden to include 15 languages, incorporating Assamese, Maithili, Nepali, Odia, Sanskrit, Sindhi, and more,” he added.
BharatGen represents India's pioneering government-supported national AI initiative, focusing on text, speech, and vision-language systems.
Applications have been developed for vital sectors including agriculture, governance, and defence, with pilot projects already underway.
“Upon full deployment, these advanced solutions will be accessible across all states and districts,” Dr. Singh stated.
This project is being executed under the National Mission on Interdisciplinary Cyber-Physical Systems (NM-ICPS) within the Department of Science and Technology.
The Technology Innovation Hub (TIH) for IoT and IoE at IIT Bombay is spearheading the initiative, overseeing model development, academic collaborations, data infrastructure, and strategic direction.
Dr. Singh indicated that BharatGen is currently in the pilot deployment phase and is not yet available for public or institutional access.
“However, once fully operational, it will extend its benefits to rural and semi-urban areas as well,” he added.
The government is also considering partnerships with research institutions in Karnataka to enhance the reach and applications of BharatGen.
In June, the Union government introduced the LLM model at the BharatGen Summit.
“BharatGen is a national mission aimed at creating AI that is ethical, inclusive, multilingual, and deeply rooted in Indian values and ethos,” Dr. Singh emphasized during the launch event on June 2.