BHASHINI organises VYOMA Innovation Challenge

The Digital India BHASHINI Division (DIBD), under the Digital India Corporation (DIC), Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY), Government of India, in collaboration with Current AI and Kalpa Impact, hosted the finale of the VYOMA Innovation Challenge at IIIT-Delhi, bringing together researchers, students and startups developing practical applications of open-source AI hardware for diverse Indian contexts.

The challenge invited participants to build on Suno Sutra, an open-source, multilingual handheld AI reference design co-developed by BHASHINI and Current AI, and explore how AI hardware and software can be adapted for public-interest applications and localised deployment.

The VYOMA Innovation Challenge brought together 10 finalist teams to demonstrate their working prototypes at the finale. The solutions addressed a range of high-impact areas including healthcare, agriculture, welfare access, legal services and accessibility, reflecting the potential of AI designed around India’s diverse needs and real-world constraints.

Amitabh Nag, CEO, Digital India BHASHINI Division, said:“Language is one part of inclusion, but reaching the last mile is another. VYOMA emerged from the need to explore open, offline hardware that can make AI more inclusive, particularly in diverse and connectivity-constrained environments.

Speaking at the finale, Kavita Bhatia, Scientist ‘G’, MeitY, said: “India is moving decisively from being a consumer of global AI to building open, public-interest technologies for its own needs.

Tarun Pandey, Scientist ‘E’, MeitY, said: “Hackathons such as VYOMA provide an important platform for bringing together young innovators, researchers and technology practitioners to develop practical applications of emerging technologies for public good.(UPDATED ON 16TH SEPTEMBER 2026)