Bhartiya Bhasha Utsav 2025: Tribal Language Exhibition and Launch of AI Tool Adi Vaani

The Bhartiya Bhasha Utsav 2025 event was conducted in New Delhi as a tribute to India’s rich language diversity, as evidenced by the theme ‘Many Languages, One Emotion,’ based on the birthday of Mahakavi Subramania Bharati. The event, conducted under the guidance of the ‘Ministry of Education’, included active collaboration with the ‘Ministry of Tribal Affairs’ as a significant aspect connecting India’s languages, particularly ‘ Tribal languages’, lying at the basis of India’s unity and culture.

The theme for 2025 involved “Many Languages, One Emotion,” which relates to the fact that there are multiple languages spoken in India, but it is bound together by shared ideologies and a national spirit. This event took place on the birthday anniversary of Subramania Bharati, who was a poet and a great Tamil reformer.

Educators, members and students, as well as officials, met for a commitment towards diversity of languages as enshrined within the national Education Policy and associated cultural policies.\

Tribal Language Exhibition and Publications

Notable among these was an exhibition stall exclusively curated by the Ministry of Tribal Affairs, wherein there were publications brought out by Tribal Research Institutes in Jharkhand, Odisha, and Gujarat. The publications included dictionaries, primers, story-books, and research monographs identifying words and narratives associated with tribes, and stories and words associated with oral traditions.

The exhibition brought forward the importance of document work and stressed that document work and written records are critical for preserving endangered languages and helping future generations. It also reflected on the extent of research being conducted at the state level on languages with Tribal Research Institutes.

Adi Vaani: AI-Powered Tribal Language Translator

But perhaps the most impressive and innovative thing that was shown there was a live demonstration of “Adi Vaani,” which is an AI-based translator for India’s Tribal languages, developed with IIT Delhi. It enables the translation of text and speech from and into India’s prominent languages and some Tribal languages, with an interactive learning facility for educational purposes.

Beginning with its first stage, the languages included in its service are Santali, Kui, Bhili, Mundari, Gondi, and Garo languages, with extensions included for more languages depending on community needs and technological readiness. By combining technological capabilities and needs from communities, there exist efforts within Adi Vaani to ensure that languages with low services are revitalized.

Cultural Performances and Unity in Diversity Performing activities conducted by students from various regions made Utsav an engaging event. Students of EMRS Kalsi performed a "dance" and a "nukkad natak" on the theme of ‘tribal culture and awareness.’ 

A collective performance of “Vande Mataram” as done in 22 Indian languages served as a symbolic focus, blending various tongues into one patriotic voice. The performance embodied the central message conveyed by the festival itself, which captured diversity in languages as something that enhances, as opposed to dividing, national unity. 

Strengthening India’s Multilingual Heritage 

The Bhartiya Bhasha Utsav 2025 facilitated discussion on the role that education, research, and technology could play together in maintaining India’s multilingual character. The fact that the event involved active participation from the Ministry of Tribal Affairs brought home the understanding that tribal languages were intrinsic to India’s civilization narrative. 

Participants and organizers emphasized that it requires an investment in documentations, digital technologies such as Adi Vaani, and cultural activities conducted by students that can sustain and preserve linguistic ecosystems facing pressures due to urbanization and linguistic homogenization. Utsav, thus, conceptualized India’s linguistic diversity not just as an integral cultural asset but as a ‘living resource’ that needs to be conserved for posterity.