The Digital India BHASHINI Division (DIBD) and the Government e Marketplace (GeM) signed a Memorandum of Understanding on June 15, 2026, to launch the BHASHINI for Seva and Sanchalan program. This initiative aims to integrate advanced AI-driven language technologies into India’s national public procurement portal to provide multilingual access to all stakeholders. By leveraging the BHASHINI platform, the partnership seeks to eliminate linguistic barriers and democratize economic opportunities for businesses across India.
Strengthening Multilingual Access in Public Procurement
The partnership between DIBD and GeM represents a major step toward a truly inclusive digital economy. Under the BHASHINI for Seva and Sanchalan initiative, the GeM portal will implement advanced Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Machine Learning (ML) tools to support all 22 officially recognized Indian languages. This transition ensures that sellers and buyers from diverse linguistic backgrounds can participate in the public procurement process without facing language constraints.
The primary goal is to enhance the Ease of Doing Business for small-scale entrepreneurs, startups, and local artisans who may not be proficient in English or Hindi. By providing localized support, the government aims to increase participation in public tenders from remote and rural areas. This move aligns with the broader objectives of the National Language Translation Mission (NLTM), which seeks to provide digital services in the native languages of citizens.
Key Features of the BHASHINI Sahayogi Program
The BHASHINI Sahayogi Program introduces a suite of AI-powered solutions designed to streamline user interaction on the GeM platform. A critical feature of this program is the deployment of Voice-First technology, which allows users to navigate the portal and search for products using voice commands in their regional languages. This is particularly helpful for users who may find text-based navigation challenging.
The collaboration will utilize several specialized BHASHINI tools to enhance the platform’s functionality:
| Component | Description |
|---|---|
| Udyat | Provides enterprise-level language solutions tailored for business operations. |
| Mitra | AI-powered chatbots and assistants that guide users through the procurement lifecycle. |
| Appmitra | Tools to integrate multilingual capabilities into mobile applications for GeM. |
| Pravakta | Voice-enabled technologies for real-time translation and voice interactions. |
Additionally, the program encourages participation in Bhashadaan, a crowdsourcing initiative where citizens contribute language data to help train AI models. This collaborative effort ensures that the translation and voice models remain accurate and sensitive to the various dialects used across India.
Institutional Framework: DIBD and GeM
The implementation of this program involves two key entities under the Government of India. The Digital India BHASHINI Division (DIBD) is an independent business division under the Digital India Corporation (DIC). It operates under the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY) and was launched in July 2022 to develop a national public infrastructure for language technology. DIBD is tasked with leading the National Language Translation Mission, which focuses on creating open-source datasets and AI models for Indian languages.
On the other hand, the Government e Marketplace (GeM) is the national public procurement portal managed by the Ministry of Commerce and Industry. Launched in August 2016, GeM serves as a one-stop online platform for government departments, public sector undertakings, and autonomous bodies to procure goods and services. The portal was established to replace the older Directorate General of Supplies and Disposals (DGS&D) system. By making the procurement process transparent and paperless, GeM has significantly reduced the cost and time involved in government buying. This new partnership with DIBD will further strengthen GeM’s commitment to inclusivity and accessibility.
Key Takeaways
- The Digital India BHASHINI Division (DIBD) and Government e Marketplace (GeM) signed a Memorandum of Understanding on June 15, 2026.
- The partnership launched the BHASHINI for Seva and Sanchalan program to integrate multilingual capabilities into India’s public procurement ecosystem.
- The initiative supports all 22 officially recognized Indian languages using AI-powered translation and Voice-First technologies.
- BHASHINI was launched in July 2022 under the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology to lead the National Language Translation Mission.
- GeM was established in August 2016 under the Ministry of Commerce and Industry as the central portal for public procurement.
- Key tools introduced under the collaboration include Udyat for enterprise solutions and Mitra for AI-powered user assistance.
