Govt’s WAVES initiative launches AI challenges for language innovation

Hyderabad: The Union Ministry of Information and Broadcasting said it is moving towards adopting AI-based solutions to bridge linguistic divides and ensure last-mile information delivery in every language across the country.

On Thursday, Information and Broadcasting secretary Sanjay Jaju held a meeting with incubators and startups working on using Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning (AI/ML)-based technology solutions at T-Hub in Hyderabad, an official release said.

Participants included officials from T-Hub, startups incubated at the facility, and representatives from IIT Hyderabad, Centres of Excellence at NITs, and engineering institutions with active innovation cells, it added.

T-Hub, a leading startup incubator, was established in 2015 through a collaboration between the Government of Telangana and top academic institutions.

Addressing the meeting, Jaju said that in line with Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s vision to encourage India’s 'creator economy', the Ministry has set up the WaveX Startup Accelerator Platform. It is launched under the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting’s WAVES initiative, aimed at nurturing innovation in the media, entertainment, and language technology sectors.

Jaju added that the platform has launched the ‘Kalaa Setu’ and ‘Bhasha Setu’ challenges, which will be crucial in building a future-ready digital ecosystem.

'Kalaa Setu' and 'Bhasha Setu', according to PIB website, are key steps in building a future-ready digital ecosystem that reflects the linguistic and cultural diversity of the nation, while fostering a vibrant startup innovation landscape.

Jaju urged India’s leading AI startups to participate in these challenges and develop indigenous, scalable solutions that reflect the country's linguistic and cultural diversity, the release said.

Startups can register and apply for the challenges at https://wavex.wavesbazaar.com, where detailed information is also available.