Digital India BHASHINI signs MoU with Kathmandu University for 'Voice First' language platform for Nepal
On 6 June 2026 in New Delhi, the Digital India BHASHINI Division of MeitY signed an MoU with Kathmandu University's Centre for DPI-AI to co-create a 'Voice First' language translation platform for Nepal.
Summary
The Digital India BHASHINI Division (DIBD) of the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology signed a Memorandum of Understanding with Kathmandu University's Centre for Digital Public Infrastructure & Artificial Intelligence (DPI-AI) during India–Nepal bilateral engagements in New Delhi on 6 June 2026. The MoU, for co-creating national digital infrastructure for a 'Voice First' language translation platform for Nepal, was signed by DIBD CEO Amitabh Nag and Kathmandu University Associate Dean Prof. Bal Krishna Bal in the presence of External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar and Nepal's Foreign Minister Shishir Khanal. The two institutions will develop Nepali language datasets, speech corpora and multilingual AI tools such as speech-to-text, text-to-speech and machine translation, and support digitisation of low-resource languages of the India–Nepal region.
Key facts
- Date and place
- 6 June 2026, New Delhi
- Parties
- Digital India BHASHINI Division (MeitY) and Kathmandu University's Centre for DPI-AI
- Purpose
- 'Voice First' language translation platform for Nepal
- Signatories
- Amitabh Nag (CEO, DIBD); Prof. Bal Krishna Bal (Associate Dean, KU)
- Witnessed by
- S. Jaishankar and Shishir Khanal
- Work areas
- Nepali datasets, speech corpora, speech-to-text, text-to-speech, machine translation
Practice MCQs 3 questions
On 6 June 2026, Digital India BHASHINI signed an MoU for a 'Voice First' language translation platform for Nepal with:
Show answer
Correct answer: D — Kathmandu University
The MoU was signed with Kathmandu University's Centre for Digital Public Infrastructure & Artificial Intelligence (DPI-AI).
The Digital India BHASHINI Division functions under which Union Ministry?
Show answer
Correct answer: B — Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology
The PIB release describes DIBD as part of the Ministry of Electronics & Information Technology (MeitY).
Who signed the BHASHINI–Kathmandu University MoU of 6 June 2026 on behalf of the Digital India BHASHINI Division?
Show answer
Correct answer: A — Amitabh Nag
The MoU was signed by Amitabh Nag, CEO, Digital India BHASHINI Division, and Prof. Bal Krishna Bal of Kathmandu University.