Key Points
- BHASHINI and GeM sign MoU to enable procurement in 22 Indian languages
- Initiative targets MSMEs and startups facing language barriers in government contracts
- BHASHINI platform processes over 15 million AI inferences daily
The Digital India BHASHINI Division (DIBD) and Government eMarketplace (GeM) have signed an agreement to make India’s public procurement portal accessible in 22 officially recognised Indian languages, a move aimed at helping small businesses and startups participate in government contracts regardless of their linguistic background.
The memorandum of understanding, signed on 15 June, will integrate BHASHINI’s AI-powered translation tools — which convert text and speech between Indian languages in real time — into GeM, the national portal through which government departments purchase goods and services from registered sellers.
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The initiative addresses a long-standing barrier for micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs) and startups operating outside English-speaking regions. Currently, navigating GeM’s procurement processes, understanding tender requirements and communicating with buyers requires functional English proficiency, which excludes businesses that operate primarily in regional languages.
What the Partnership Will Deliver
Under the agreement, BHASHINI’s language technology will be deployed across GeM’s core functions including seller registration, tender navigation and buyer-seller communication. The integration will include translation APIs — software tools that allow one application to use another’s capabilities — enabling automatic conversion of procurement documents and platform content into a user’s preferred language.
The collaboration will also deploy voice-enabled technologies and voice bots, which are automated systems that can understand and respond to spoken queries. This addresses users who may be more comfortable speaking than typing in their native languages.
Amitabh Nag, CEO, DIBD, said the partnership would help local businesses connect with government opportunities. “We are empowering local businesses, MSMEs, startups and Swadeshi enterprises to connect with national opportunities while strengthening India’s vision of a digitally inclusive economy,” he said.
Ajit B Chavan, additional CEO and chief seller officer at GeM, said the collaboration aimed to make the platform more accessible. “The collaboration aims to leverage BHASHINI’s AI-powered language technologies to break linguistic barriers in public procurement and make GeM more accessible to buyers and sellers across the country,” he said.
Technical Capability and Scale
BHASHINI operates as India’s national language digital public infrastructure, providing AI-driven translation services to government platforms and institutions. The platform currently powers over 800 government websites and processes more than 15 million AI inferences — individual translation or speech recognition requests — daily.
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The system supports 36 Indian languages for text translation, 23 Indian languages for voice recognition and speech synthesis, and 35 international languages for cross-border communication.
The agreement was signed under BHASHINI’s Sahayogi programme, which provides language technology integration support to government bodies and public institutions. Work will proceed through several BHASHINI initiatives including Udyat, Mitra, Appmitra and Pravakta, which handle different aspects of language technology deployment from app integration to dataset development.
Implications for Government Services
The partnership will also focus on creating domain-specific language models — AI systems trained specifically on procurement terminology — and building glossaries of technical terms in Indian languages. This addresses a gap where existing translation tools often struggle with specialised vocabulary used in government contracting.
By the numbers
- 22 languages
- Indian languages to be supported on GeM
- 15 million
- Daily AI inferences processed by BHASHINI
- 800+
- Government websites powered by BHASHINI
GeM has become the primary procurement channel for central government ministries and departments. Expanding language access could significantly increase the pool of sellers competing for government contracts, particularly from states where English proficiency among small business owners is lower.
The agreement also provides for language data contributions through Bhashadaan, BHASHINI’s crowdsourced data collection initiative, and capacity-building efforts to train GeM stakeholders on using the new tools.
Your Questions, Answered
What is the BHASHINI and GeM partnership about?
The partnership will integrate BHASHINI’s AI-powered translation tools into GeM, India’s public procurement portal, enabling users to access government contracting services in 22 officially recognised Indian languages instead of English only.
How will this help MSMEs and small businesses?
Small businesses operating in regional languages can navigate tender requirements, complete seller registration and communicate with government buyers in their preferred language, removing English proficiency as a barrier to government contracts.
What languages does BHASHINI support?
BHASHINI supports 36 Indian languages for text translation, 23 Indian languages for voice recognition and speech synthesis, and 35 international languages. The platform processes over 15 million AI inferences daily.
When was the BHASHINI-GeM MoU signed?
The memorandum of understanding was signed on 15 June 2026 under BHASHINI’s Sahayogi programme, which provides language technology integration support to government bodies and public institutions.