Telangana govt inks MoU with Google for AI-driven language solution

The Telangana government has signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with Google to use its digital publishing solution Navlekha to deploy content drafted in local languages online. 

As part of the MoU, the California-based technology company will also help digitise Telugu content across Telangana government’s digital properties. The move is aimed to help residents access information on government portals in their local languages.

Navlekha is Google’s digital programme, which leverages artificial intelligence (AI) to render and convert content drafted in Indian languages into editable text. The solution is said to overcome the compatibility issues encountered when copying Indian language texts from a PDF (portable document format) file. 

The agreement is in line with the Digital Telangana programme, which seeks to facilitate the digital transformation of the state, said a statement issued by Google.

Google will also provide technical assistance and advisory support to government departments. 

“We have identified that the availability of content in native language over the internet is essential for all citizens of Telangana to use the internet actively. We look forward to collaborating with Google to meet the vision of the internet for all which is part of Digital Telangana,” said Jayesh Ranjan, principal secretary, information technology, electronics & communications (ITE&C) and industries department. 

The Navlekha solution was introduced in 2018 and helps make online content fully editable. Google is offering the solution without charging a set-up cost. Offline publishers are being onboarded and the programme is open for processing Hindi and Telugu texts. 

Recent partnerships between Google and public sector

The Maharashtra International Education Board recently signed a partnership with Google’s teaching solutions platform Google for Education in India. As part of the programme, teachers in more than 80 Marathi-medium schools will be able to provide students application-based instructions by harnessing software on the Google Suite such as Google Classroom. 

With the help of Google, the not-for-profit Data Security Council of India (DSCI) recently conducted workshops for law enforcement officers working on cyber-crime investigations.