120.56.165.122: /* TDIL */

2021-06-17T10:55:05Z

TDIL

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{{Use dmy dates|date=August 2017}}
{{Use Indian English|date=August 2017}}
'''Indic Computing''' means "computing in [[Brahmic family|Indic]]", i.e., Indian Scripts and Languages. It involves developing [[software]] in [[Languages of India|Indic Scripts/languages]], [[Input method]]s, [[Language localization|Localization]] of computer applications, [[web development]], [[Database management system|Database Management]], [[Spell checkers]], [[Speech to Text]] and [[Text to Speech]] applications and [[OCR in Indian Languages|OCR in Indian languages]].

Most of the widely used Indic scripts are encoded in [[Indic Unicode|Unicode]] for working on Computers and Internet. As of version 10.0, [[Bengali alphabet|Bengali]], [[Devanagari]], [[Gujarati script|Gujarati]], [[Gurmukhi]], [[Kannada]], [[Limbu script|Limbu]], [[Malayalam]], [[Masaram Gondi alphabet|Masaram Gondi]],<ref>[https://www.unicode.org/versions/Unicode10.0.0/ Unicode 10.0]</ref> [[Newar language|Newari]], [[Ol Chiki alphabet|Ol Chiki]], [[Oriya script|Oriya]], [[Sinhala script|Sinhala]], [[Tamil script|Tamil]] and [[Telugu script|Telugu]] scripts are encoded and supported. Historically used writing systems like [[Arwi]],<ref name="U8">[https://www.unicode.org/versions/Unicode8.0.0/ Unicode 8.0]</ref> [[Ahom alphabet]],<ref name="U8"/> [[Grantha script|Grantha]],<ref name="U7">[https://www.unicode.org/versions/Unicode7.0.0/ Unicode 7.0]</ref> [[Khudabadi script|Khudabadi]],<ref name="U7"/> [[Mahajani]],<ref name="U7"/> [[Modi alphabet]],<ref name="U7"/> [[Siddham script]],<ref name="U7"/> [[Syloti Nagri]],<ref>[https://www.unicode.org/versions/Unicode4.1.0/ Unicode 4.1]</ref> [[Tirhuta]]<ref name="U7"/> are also included. Some more Indic scripts are in development and will be included in unicode, for instance [[Tulu Script]].

A lot of Indic Computing projects are going on. They involve some government sector companies, some volunteer groups and individual people.

==Government sector==
Indian Union Government made it mandatory for Mobile phone companies whose handsets manufactured, stored, sold and distributed in India to have support for reading of text in [[Eighth Schedule to the Constitution of India|all 22 languages]].<ref>[http://www.medianama.com/2017/06/223-indian-language-handsets/ Deadline for making handsets Indic language capable extended till 1 October 2017]</ref> This move has seen rise in use of Indian languages by millions of users.<ref name="THBL">[https://www.thehindubusinessline.com/info-tech/centres-push-for-regional-language-support-paying-off/article24373863.ece Centre’s push for regional language support paying off – The Hindu Business Line]</ref>

===TDIL===
{{main|TDIL}}
The [[Department of Electronics and Information Technology]], India initiated the [[TDIL]]<ref>{{cite web|url=http://tdil.mit.gov.in|title=TDIL: Technology Development for Indian Languages Programme, India|publisher=|accessdate=28 March 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150323184959/http://www.tdil.mit.gov.in/|archive-date=23 March 2015|url-status=dead}}</ref> (Technology Development for Indian Languages) with the objective of developing Information Processing Tools and Techniques to facilitate human-machine interaction without language barrier; creating and accessing multilingual knowledge resources; and integrating them to develop innovative user products and services.

In 2005, it started distributing language software tools developed by Government/Academic/Private companies in the form of CD for non commercial use.

Some of the outcome of TDIL program deployed on Indian Language Technology Proliferation & Deployment Centre. This Centre disseminate all the linguistic resources, tools & applications which have been developed under TDIL funding. This programme took to exponential expansion under the leadership of Dr. Swaran Lata who also created international foot-print of the programme. She has now retired.

===C-DAC===
{{main|C-DAC}}
[[C-DAC]] is an [[India]] based government software company which is involved in developing language related software. It is best known for developing [[InScript Keyboard]], the standard keyboard for Indian languages. It has also developed lot of Indic language solutions including Word Processors, typing tools, text to speech software, [[OCR in Indian Languages|OCR in Indian languages]] etc.

====BharateeyaOO.org====
The work developed out of CDAC, Bangalore (earlier known as NCST, Bangalore) became BharateeyaOO.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.openoffice.org/editorial/bharateeyaooo.html|title=BharateeyaOOo|publisher=|accessdate=28 March 2015}}</ref> OpenOffice 2.1 had support for over 10 Indian languages.

====BOSS====
BOSS is developed by National Resource Centre for free/open source software, an initiative of DIT. Its activities are coordinated by C-DAC Chennai and Anna University KBC Research Center. Support Centres are established at several cities in India to provide support to Users.

==NGO and Volunteer groups==

===Indlinux===
[[Indlinux]] organisation helped organise the individual volunteers working on different indic language versions of Linux and its applications.

===Sarovar===
Sarovar.org is [[India]]'s first portal to host projects under Free/Open source licenses. It is located in [[Trivandrum]], [[India]] and hosted at Asianet data center. Sarovar.org is customised, installed and maintained by Linuxense as part of their community services and sponsored by River Valley Technologies. Sarovar.org is built on Debian Etch and GForge and runs off METTLE.

===Pinaak===
Pinaak is a non-government charitable society devoted to Indic language computing. It works for software localization, developing language software, localizing open source software, enriching online encyclopedias etc. In addition to this Pinaak works for educating people about computing, ethical use of Internet and use of [[Languages of India|Indian languages]] on Internet.

===Ankur Group===
Ankur Group is working toward supporting Bengali language ([[Bengali language|Bengali]]) on [[Linux]] operating system including localized Bengali GUI, [[Live CD]], English-to-Bengali translator, Bengali [[Optical character recognition|OCR]] and Bengali Dictionary etc.<ref name = AnkurGroup/> 

===BhashaIndia===

===SMC===
{{main|Swathanthra Malayalam Computing}}
SMC is a free software group, working to bridge the language divide in Kerala in the technology front and is today the biggest language computing community in India.<ref name="NIE">[http://www.newindianexpress.com/cities/thiruvananthapuram/Helping-Malayalam-Take-the-Digital-Leap/2016/02/22/article3289685.ece Helping Malayalam Take the Digital Leap – The New Indian Express]</ref>

==Input methods==
[[File:Multilingual Indic Keyboard Options.png|thumb|Reverie Keypad lists the supported Indian languages for typing, in Android|150px]]

===Full size keyboards===
With the advent of [[Unicode]] inputting Indic text on computer has become very easy. A number of methods exist for this purpose, but the main ones are:-

====InScript====
{{main|InScript Typing}}

[[Inscript]] is the standard keyboard for Indian languages. Developed by [[C-DAC]] and standardized by Government of India. Nowadays it comes inbuilt in all major operating systems including [[Microsoft Windows]] (2000, XP, Vista, 7), [[Linux]] and [[Macintosh]].

====Phonetic transliteration====
This is a typing method in which, for instance, the user types text in an Indian language using [[Latin alphabet|Roman]] characters and it is phonetically converted to equivalent text in Indian script in real time. This type of conversion is done by phonetic text editors, word processors and software plugins. Building up on the idea, one can use phonetic [[Input method editor|IME]] tools that allow [[Indic scripts|Indic]] text to be input in any application.

Some examples of phonetic transliterators are Xlit, [[Google Indic Transliteration]], [[BarahaIME]], [[Indic IME]], [[Rupantar]], SMC's Indic Keyboard and [[Microsoft Indic Language Input Tool]]. [[Swathanthra Malayalam Computing|SMC]]'s Indic Keyboard has support for as many as 23 languages whereas Google Indic Keyboard only supports 11 Indian languages.<ref name="NIE"/>

They can be broadly classified as:
* Fixed transliteration scheme based tools – They work using a fixed transliteration scheme to convert text. Some examples are [[Indic IME]], [[Rupantar]] and [[BarahaIME]].
* Intelligent/Learning based transliteration tools – They compare the word with a dictionary and then convert it to the equivalent words in the target language. Some of the popular ones are [[Google Indic Transliteration]], [[Xlit]], [[Microsoft Indic Language Input Tool]] and [[QuillPad]].

====Remington (typewriter)====
This layout was developed when computers had not been invented or deployed with Indic languages, and typewriters were the only means to type text in Indic scripts. Since typewriters were mechanical and could not include a script processor engine, each character had to be placed on the keyboard separately, which resulted in a very complex and difficult to learn keyboard layout.

With the advent of [[Unicode]], the Remington layout was added to various typing tools for sake of backward compatibility, so that old typists did not have to learn a new keyboard layout. Nowadays this layout is only used by old typists who are used to this layout due to several years of usage. One tool to include Remington layout is [[Indic IME]]. A font that is based on the Remington keyboard layout is [[Kruti Dev]]. Another online tool that very closely supports the old Remington keyboard layout using Kruti Dev is the Remington Typing tool.

===Braille===
{{Main|Bharati Braille}}
IBus Sharada Braille, which supports seven Indian languages was developed by [[Swathanthra Malayalam Computing|SMC]].<ref name="NIE"/>

===Mobile phones with Numeric keyboards===
[[File:Nokia1108HindiKeypad.jpg|right|thumb|100px|Nokia 1108 Hindi]]
Mobile/Hand/cell phone basic models have 12 keys like the plain old telephone keypad. Each key is mapped to 3 or 4 English letters to facilitate data entry in English. For inputting Indian languages with this kind of keypad, there are two ways to do so. First is the Multi-tap Method and second uses visual help from the screen like Panini Keypad. The primary usage is [[SMS]]. 140 characters size used for English/Roman languages can be used to accommodate only about 70 language characters when Unicode<ref>{{cite web|url=http://quillpadmobile.in/faq.html|title=Quillpad Mobile – FAQs|publisher=|accessdate=28 March 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150402113758/http://quillpadmobile.in/faq.html|archive-date=2 April 2015|url-status=dead}}</ref> Proprietary compression is used some times to increase the size of single message for Complex script languages like Hindi. A research study<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://bwci.org.in/demo/upload_files/file/bwci_files/activities/sigils/SIGILS_Report_Ver1c-with%20cover.pdf |title=SIG Report on Indian Language SMS, Nov 2010 |access-date=11 November 2011 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150402201127/http://bwci.org.in/demo/upload_files/file/bwci_files/activities/sigils/SIGILS_Report_Ver1c-with%20cover.pdf |archive-date=2 April 2015 |url-status=dead }}</ref> of the available methods and recommendations of proposed standard was released by Broadband Wireless Consortium of India (BWCI).

====Transliteration/Phonetic methods====
English is used to type in Indian languages.
[[QuillPad]]<ref>{{cite web|url=http://quillpadmobile.in/index.html|title=Quillpad Mobile – Hindi SMS application for your mobile phone|publisher=|accessdate=28 March 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150402101116/http://quillpadmobile.in/index.html|archive-date=2 April 2015|url-status=dead}}</ref>
IndiSMS<ref>{{cite web|url=http://eternoinfotech.com/IndiSMS.html|title=Eterno Infotech|publisher=|accessdate=28 March 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150328104013/http://eternoinfotech.com/indisms.html|archive-date=28 March 2015|url-status=dead}}</ref>

====Native methods====
In native methods, the letters of the language are displayed on the screen corresponding to the numeral keys based on the probabilities of those letters for that language. Additional letters can be accessed by using a special key. When a word is partially typed, options are presented from which the user can make a selection.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.paninikeypad.com/index.php|title=Keypad for mobile-Keyboard for mobile-Keyboard for typing on mobile-Keypad for typing on mobile|publisher=|accessdate=28 March 2015}}</ref>

===Smart phones with Qwerty keyboards===
Most smart phones have about 35 keys catering primarily to English language. Numerals and some symbols are accessed with a special key called Alt. Indic input methods are yet to evolve for these types of phones, as support of [[Unicode]] for rendering is not widely available.

===For Smart Phones with Soft/Virtual keyboards===
Inscript is being adopted for smart phone usage. For Android phones which can render Indic languages, Swalekh Multilingual Keypad<ref>[http://gadgets.ndtv.com/apps/features/this-bengaluru-based-startup-believes-it-has-built-a-smarter-indic-keyboard-1674841 This Bengaluru-Based Startup Believes It Has Built a Smarter Indic Keyboard – NDTV]</ref> Multiling Keyboard app<ref>{{cite web|url=https://market.android.com/details?id=com.klye.ime.latin&hl=en|title=MultiLing Keyboard – Android Apps on Google Play|author=Honso|publisher=|accessdate=28 March 2015}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://market.android.com/details?id=klye.plugin.hi&feature=search_result#?t=W251bGwsMSwxLDEsImtseWUucGx1Z2luLmhpIl0.|title=Plugin Hindi हिन्दी – Android Apps on Google Play|author=Honso|publisher=|accessdate=28 March 2015}}</ref> are available. [[Gboard]] offers support for several Indian languages.<ref name="livemint"/>

==Localization==
{{main|Internationalization and localization}}
Localization means translating software, operating systems, websites etc. various applications in Indian language. Various volunteers groups are working in this direction.


===Mandrake Tamil Version===
A notable example is the Tamil version of Mandrake linux(defunct since 2011). Tamil speakers in [[Toronto]] (Canada) released [[Mandriva Linux|Mandrake]], a Linux software, in coming out with a Tamil version.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://infochangeindia.org/technology/features/indian-language-computing-the-long-road-ahead.html|title=Indian-language computing: The long road ahead – Features – Technology|author=[[Frederick Noronha]]|publisher=Infochange India|accessdate=28 March 2015}}</ref> It can be noted that all the features can be accessed in Tamil. By this, the prerequisite of English knowledge for using computers has been eliminated, for those who know Tamil.

===IndLinux===
IndLinux is a volunteer group aiming to translate the [[Linux]] [[operating system]] into Indian languages. By the efforts of this group, Linux has been localized almost completely in Hindi and other Indian languages.

===Nipun===
Nipun is an online translation system aimed to translate various application in [[Hindi]]. It is part of ''Akshargram Network''.

===Localising Websites===
[[GoDaddy]] has localised its website in [[Hindi]], [[Marathi language|Marathi]] and [[Tamil language|Tamil]] and also noted that 40% of the call volume for IVR is in Indian Languages.<ref name="EcoTimes"/>

==Indic blogging==
Indic blogging refers to blogging in Indic languages. Various efforts have been done to promote blogging in Indian languages.

==Social Networks==
Some Social networks are started in Indian languages.<ref>[http://www.livemint.com/Industry/uH1cxQy4c5TgyV2oXzkdgO/Google-and-Facebooks-attention-to-India-might-speed-up-Indi.html Google and Facebook’s attention to India might speed up Indic computing – Live Mint]</ref>

==Programming==
===Indic programming languages===
* [[BangaBhasha]] - Programming in Bangla
* [[Hindawi Programming System|Programing using Hindi language]]
* [[Ezhil (programming language)|Ezhil]], a programming language in Tamil

===Frameworks===
[[Gherkin (language)|Gherkin]], a popular [[Domain-specific language]] has support for Gujarati, Hindi, Kannada, Punjabi, Tamil, Telugu and Urdu<ref>[https://cucumber.io/docs/gherkin/reference/ Gherkin Language reference]</ref>

===Libraries===
Natural Language processing in Indian languages is on rise. There are several libraries such as iNLTK, StanfordNLP are available.<ref>[https://analyticsindiamag.com/top-nlp-libraries-datasets-for-indian-languages/ TOP NLP LIBRARIES & DATASETS FOR INDIAN LANGUAGES - Analytics India Mag]</ref>

==Translation==
Google offers improved translation feature for Hindi, Bengali, Marathi, Tamil, Telugu, Gujarati, Punjabi, Malayalam and Kannada,<ref name="livemint">[http://www.livemint.com/Industry/XOK0qZSXHwJGPgFYbDN8bI/Google-launches-translator-for-9-Indian-languages-expands-s.html Google Translate for 9 Indian languages, 11 more get keyboard support – Live Mint]</ref> with offline support as well.<ref name=DoC>[http://www.deccanchronicle.com/technology/in-other-news/140917/google-will-let-you-translate-to-7-indian-languages-on-offline-mode.html Google will let you translate to 7 Indian languages – Deccan Chronicle]</ref> Microsoft also offers translation for some of these languages.

==Software==

===Indic Language Stack===
In a symposium jointly organized by [[FICCI]] and [[TDIL]], Mr. Ajay Prakash Sawhney, Secretary, Ministry of Electronics and IT, Government of India said that India Language Stack can help overcome the barriers of communication.<ref>{{cite web | last= Sawhney | first=Shri. Ajay Prakash | title=India Language Stack needed to overcome the barriers of communication: IT Secretary | website=Press Information Bureau GoI | date=2018-07-30 | url=https://pib.gov.in/PressReleasePage.aspx?PRID=1540663 | accessdate=2020-09-27}}</ref>
===Spell Checkers===

===Transliteration tools===
Transliteration tools allow users to read a text in a different script. As of now, [https://aksharamukha.appspot.com Aksharamukha] is the tool that allows most Indian scripts. Google also offers [[Google Indic Transliteration|Indic Transliteration]]. Text from any of these scripts can be converted to any other scripts and vice versa. Whereas Google and Microsoft allow transliteration from Latin letters to Indic scripts.

===Text-to-Speech===
[[Carnegie Mellon University]], in collaboration with the Hear2Read project, has developed a text-to-speech (TTS) software that helps the visually impaired listen to text in native Indian languages. Currently, [[Tamil language|Tamil]] is being offered and, releases in Hindi, Bengali, Gujarati, Marathi, Kannada, Punjabi and Telugu are expected over the remainder of 2016.<ref name="University 2016">{{cite web | last=University | first=Carnegie Mellon | title=Android App Lets Visually Impaired in India Listen to Texts in Native Languages-CMU News | website=Carnegie Mellon University | date=2016-08-03 | url=http://www.cmu.edu/news/stories/archives/2016/august/hear2read.html | accessdate=2016-08-23}}</ref>

===Speech-to-Text===

==Internationalized Domain Names==
{{main|.in#Internationalised_domain_names_and_country_codes}}

==Operating Systems==
* [[Indus OS]]

==Virtual Assistants==
AI based Virtual Assistants [[Google Assistant]] provides support to various Indian languages.

==Usage and Growth==
According to [[GoDaddy]], [[Hindi]], [[Marathi language|Marathi]] and [[Tamil language|Tamil]] languages accounted for 61% of India's internet traffic.<ref name="EcoTimes">[http://m.economictimes.com/small-biz/startups/godaddy-launches-services-in-hindi-marathi-and-tamil/articleshow/53106783.cms GoDaddy launches services in Hindi, Marathi and Tamil – EconomicTimes.com]</ref> Less than 1% of online content is in Indian languages. The newly created top apps have support for multiple Indian languages and/or promote Indian language content. 61% of the Indian users of [[WhatsApp]] primarily use their native languages to communicate with it.<ref>[https://medium.com/hotline/we-havent-yet-built-the-indian-internet-f45c89b9557 We haven’t yet built the Indian internet!]</ref> A recent study revealed that adoption of Internet is highest among local languages such as Tamil, Hindi, Kannada, Bengali, Marathi, Telugu, Gujarati and Malayalam. It estimates that Marathi, Bengali, Tamil, and Telugu will form 30% of the total local-language user base in the country. Currently, Tamil at 42% has the highest Internet adoption levels, followed by Hindi at 39% and Kannada at 37%.<ref>[https://inc42.com/buzz/internet-users-report-google/ No English Only Vinglish: 90% New Internet Users Coming Online In India Are Non-English Speakers]</ref> [[Intex]] also reported that 87% of its regional language usage came from Hindi, Bengali, Tamil, Gujarati and Marathi speakers.<ref name="THBL"/> [[Lava International|Lava mobiles]] reported that Tamil and Malayalam are the most popular on their phones, more than even Hindi.<ref name="THBL"/>

==See also==
* [[Indic Unicode]]
* [[Hindi Blogosphere]]
* [[Indian Blogosphere]]
* [[Clip font]]

== References ==
{{reflist | 30em | refs =

<ref name=AnkurGroup>
{{cite web|url=http://www.bengalinux.org/ |title=Archive of Ankur Home |publisher=Ankur group, Bengalinux.org group |accessdate=26 December 2015 |url-status=dead |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20050529081357/http://www.bengalinux.org/ |archivedate=29 May 2005 }}</ref>
}}

[[Category:Indic computing| ]]
[[Category:Natural language and computing|Indic]]

Indic computing - Revision history

120.56.165.122: /* TDIL */