New Delhi, August 30, 2025। SKY LINK TIMES
In a landmark move to safeguard India’s cultural and linguistic heritage, the Ministry of Tribal Affairs has launched the Beta version of “Adi Vaani”, the country’s first AI-powered translator for tribal languages.
The initiative, developed under the Janjatiya Gaurav Varsh program, seeks to bridge communication barriers between tribal and non-tribal communities while ensuring the survival of endangered tribal languages.
What is Adi Vaani?
Adi Vaani is an AI-based translation platform available on the Google Play Store and soon on iOS and web. It enables real-time translation between tribal languages and Hindi/English, offering both text and speech translation.
The project is spearheaded by IIT Delhi, with support from BITS Pilani, IIIT Hyderabad, IIIT Nava Raipur, and several Tribal Research Institutes (TRIs) from Jharkhand, Odisha, Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, and Meghalaya.
Why It Matters
India is home to 461 tribal languages and 71 tribal mother tongues as per Census 2011. Of these, 81 are vulnerable and 42 critically endangered. Many face extinction due to lack of documentation and limited use among younger generations.
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Adi Vaani aims to:
🔶Enable real-time translation (speech-to-speech, text-to-text, OCR support).
🔶Provide interactive language learning for students.
🔶Digitally preserve folklore, oral traditions, and cultural texts.
🔶Assist in healthcare communication and spread awareness on issues like sickle cell disease.
🔶Ensure better outreach of government schemes and welfare programs.
Languages in Beta Phase
The Beta version supports:
- Santali (Odisha)
- Bhili (Madhya Pradesh)
- Mundari (Jharkhand)
- Gondi (Chhattisgarh)
More languages, including Kui and Garo, are under development for upcoming phases.
Adi Vaani uses advanced AI models such as No Language Left Behind (NLLB) and IndicTrans2, fine-tuned for low-resource tribal languages. Importantly, community participation plays a big role – with tribal experts, linguists, and local institutions contributing to data collection, validation, and refinement.
The toolkit includes:
- Text, speech, and OCR-based translations
- Bilingual dictionaries and cultural repositories
- Subtitled videos for Prime Minister’s speeches, health advisories, and awareness campaigns
Bigger Picture – A National Mission
Beyond being a translator, Adi Vaani represents a national mission for inclusive governance. It strengthens India’s constitutional vision of unity in diversity and promotes Digital India, Ek Bharat Shreshtha Bharat, Adi Karmayogi Abhiyan, Dharti Aaba Janjatiya Gram Utkarsh Abhiyan, and PM JANMAN.
The initiative is expected to make education, healthcare, and government services more accessible to tribal citizens, while also positioning India as a global leader in AI-driven preservation of endangered languages.
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