India is a country known for its linguistic diversity, with numerous languages spoken across its vast expanse. However, this diversity has also posed challenges in terms of efficient governance. To overcome these hurdles, the Government of India has turned to various AI tools and technologies. In this article, we will explore six different ways in which the Indian government is leveraging AI to streamline governance and overcome language barriers.
- Bhashini: The National Language Technology Mission (NLTM) launched Bhashini to provide language technology solutions as digital public goods through the BHASHINI platform. By harnessing emerging technologies such as AI/ML and NLP, Bhashini aims to develop and share open-source models, tools, and solutions for Indian languages. This initiative encourages ecosystem development involving startups, industries, academia, research groups, enthusiasts, and state/central governments.
- India Urban Data Exchange (IUDX): This transformative initiative by the Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs provides a data exchange platform for Indian cities. IUDX offers a seamless interface for data providers and users, including Urban Local Bodies (ULBs), to share, request, and access datasets related to cities, urban governance, and service delivery. Developed by the Smart Cities Mission and implemented by the Indian Institute of Science (IISc), Bengaluru, IUDX empowers data-driven decision-making for efficient urban management.
- Ideal Train Profile: The Indian Railways has introduced the ‘Ideal Train Profile’ powered by AI to maximize capacity utilization and revenue generation in reserved mail express trains. This AI-driven program analyzes the demand patterns of each train to allocate vacant berths, ensuring fewer passengers are turned away without a confirmed ticket. Developed by the Railways’ in-house software arm, the Centre for Railway Information Systems (CRIS), this AI module considers factors such as passenger booking patterns, origin-destination pairs, and vacant seat data to optimize train capacity.
- Digidhan Mitra Chatbot: This AI-powered chatbot, designed and developed by the National Informatics Centre (NIC), mines the Digidhan Portal to provide customized information in graphical, tabular, and textual formats. It offers bank-wise transaction details and growth patterns of various modes of transactions, such as BHIM, IMPS, and cards. The Digidhan Mitra Chatbot enables users to access relevant financial data, facilitating data-driven decision-making and analysis.
- Aadhaar Enabled Payment System (AEPS): AEPS, developed by the National Payments Corporation of India (NPCI), is a payment service based on an individual’s Aadhaar card. It enables users to make financial transactions, such as fund transfers, payments, deposits, and withdrawals, using Aadhaar-based and biometric authentication. The NPCI has explored the potential of AI to enhance AEPS by creating a multilingual chatbot to aid customers, ensure secure payments, and eliminate false declines.
- AI Virtual Assistant of IRCTC: The Indian Railways’ online ticketing platform, IRCTC, has introduced AskDISHA 2.0, an AI virtual assistant that allows customers to book tickets using voice, chat, and click-based systems. The conversational interface has improved passenger satisfaction and interaction by over 70%. AskDISHA 2.0’s latest version even enables ticket bookings through voice commands, providing a convenient and user-friendly experience.
These six examples demonstrate how the Indian government is harnessing the power of AI to overcome language barriers and streamline governance processes. By leveraging AI tools like Bhashini, IUDX, AI-driven train profiling, chatbots, and virtual assistants, the government aims to enhance efficiency, accessibility, and citizen engagement. As India continues to embrace technological advancements, AI will play an increasingly vital role in shaping the future of governance and public service delivery.