Indira Gandhi National Open University (IGNOU) and the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Bombay have launched Project Udaan, an AI-powered translation platform aimed at making academic and technical content accessible in regional Indian languages. The initiative seeks to promote inclusive and equitable education, bridging language barriers in India’s diverse learning landscape.
“This collaboration with IIT Bombay perfectly aligns with our vision to democratize higher education,” said the Vice Chancellor of IGNOU. “Through Project Udaan, we aim to bridge the language divide and empower learners across every corner of India.”
Professor Ramakrishnan emphasized that Udaan is designed to cater to India’s linguistic and educational diversity. “This MoU is a crucial step in turning that vision into reality, especially with IGNOU’s vast learner base,” he added.
Professor Nayantara Padhi, a faculty member at the School of Management Studies and the MoU coordinator from IGNOU, highlighted the significance of the partnership. “This collaboration reflects IGNOU’s dedication to educational equity and innovation. By integrating AI-driven translation tools into our academic delivery, we’re opening up new opportunities for learners, especially in rural and regional areas, to access high-quality content in their own languages.”
Project Udaan leverages cutting-edge technologies, including Optical Character Recognition (OCR), layout preservation, domain-specific glossaries, and human-in-the-loop editing, to ensure precise and high-fidelity translation of complex academic and technical content into Indian languages. This AI-driven approach enhances the accessibility of educational resources, making them available in multiple regional languages across the country.
The initiative also supports national missions such as Digital India and Bharat Bhasha, strengthening India’s position in culturally relevant and inclusive AI research. “This effort directly contributes to advancing the goals of multilingual education, digital access, and academic equity outlined in the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020,” the statement added.
The MoU was signed at a ceremony on Friday at the IGNOU Headquarters, chaired by the Vice Chancellor of IGNOU. Senior academic leaders from both institutions were present, including Prof. Ganesh Ramakrishnan, Chair Professor in Digital Entrepreneurship at the Bank of Baroda and the principal investigator for Udaan, who represented IIT Bombay at the event.
