The Digital India BHASHINI Division has concluded its VYOMA Innovation Challenge with a finale at IIIT-Delhi, where 10 finalist teams showed working open-source AI prototypes.
The challenge ran under the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY), with Current AI and Kalpa Impact as partners. It was announced on June 2, 2026, with a prize pool of up to Rs 80 lakh.
Four teams were named winners at the finale. Each received prize money for its work and its potential for public use, MeitY said.
The 10 finalist teams built on Suno Sutra. This is an open-source, multilingual handheld AI device co-developed by BHASHINI and Current AI. It runs AI on the device itself, so it works offline and in low-connectivity areas.
The prototypes covered five sectors. These were healthcare, agriculture, welfare access, legal services and accessibility. Each team presented to a jury, then took questions.
Startups, students, researchers and MSMEs were the core participants. At launch, 20 shortlisted teams received developer kits and mentorship from BHASHINI and Current AI experts.
Kavita Bhatia, Scientist ‘G’ at MeitY, spoke at the finale. “India is moving decisively from being a consumer of global AI to building open, public-interest technologies for its own needs,” she said. She added that the real test is what works for millions of citizens, not a pilot.
Amitabh Nag, chief executive of the Digital India BHASHINI Division, called the finale a milestone. The device was first shown at the India AI Impact Summit in February 2026. BHASHINI now supports 36 Indian text languages and 23 voice languages, and powers over 800 government websites.
What this means for you: Indian AI hardware startups now have a tested open-source reference device and a direct line to government deployment. Watch the four winning teams for early public-sector pilots.
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