Indian Railways and BHASHINI Forge Strategic Partnership to Bring Multilingual AI to Railway Services

In a milestone step towards enhancing linguistic inclusion and promoting AI-driven digital transformation within India’s public infrastructure, the Digital India Bhashini Division (DIBD) and the Centre for Railway Information Systems (CRIS) have officially entered into a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU). The agreement outlines a collaborative effort to design, develop, and implement multilingual artificial intelligence solutions across the Indian Railways’ digital service ecosystem.

MoU Signing Ceremony in New Delhi

The MoU was formally signed in New Delhi by Shri Amitabh Nag, CEO of BHASHINI, and Shri G.V.L. Satya Kumar, Managing Director of CRIS. This partnership signifies a major leap forward in ensuring language accessibility in one of the world’s largest railway networks.

Revolutionizing Public Interaction Through Language Technology

The collaboration aims to seamlessly integrate BHASHINI’s advanced language AI stack into CRIS-managed platforms, notably the National Train Enquiry System (NTES) and RailMadad. This integration will allow millions of Indian citizens to access real-time railway information and support in 22 Indian languages, thus eliminating language as a barrier to public engagement.

Key BHASHINI Technologies to be Integrated:

• Automatic Speech Recognition (ASR) – Enables real-time voice-to-text conversion in multiple Indian languages.
• Text-to-Text Translation – Facilitates instant translation of railway updates and services.
• Text-to-Speech (TTS) – Converts text into natural-sounding speech across supported languages.
• Optical Character Recognition (OCR) – Digitizes and recognizes printed texts in regional languages for use in kiosks and counters.

Scope and Implementation Strategy

The MoU outlines a comprehensive, multi-pronged strategy for deployment, which includes:

1. Multilingual Chatbots and Voice Assistants

Joint development of intelligent support systems capable of engaging with passengers in their native languages for queries, bookings, and grievance redressal.

2. Over-the-Counter Digital Interfaces

Creating interactive, multilingual interfaces for ticketing and enquiry at physical railway counters to bridge the gap between digital and offline services.

3. Infrastructure Scaling

Implementing BHASHINI services through both cloud-based and on-premise models to ensure scalability and resilience across the country’s vast railway network.

4. Platform Integration

Deploying multilingual AI capabilities across:

• Websites
• Mobile applications
• Information kiosks
• Call centers

5. Real-Time Speech-Based Interactions

Enabling passengers to interact with railway systems using live voice input, facilitating faster and more intuitive service delivery.

Pilot Deployments and Technical Workshops

To ensure smooth execution and refinement, the partnership will initiate joint technical workshops and conduct pilot deployments in select regions. These activities will help fine-tune the technology stack and gather user feedback for iterative improvements.

A Milestone Under the Vision of Digital India

This strategic alliance is more than a technical upgrade—it is a reaffirmation of India’s commitment to Digital Inclusion. By removing language as a barrier, this initiative aligns with the broader objectives of the Digital India programme and positions India as a global leader in public sector language AI.