BHASHINI, PNB Partner to Expand Multilingual Digital Banking

BHASHINI CEO Amitabh Nag said language should never prevent people from accessing financial services.

The Digital India BHASHINI Division (DIBD) and Punjab National Bank (PNB) have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to introduce multilingual artificial intelligence solutions that will make digital banking more accessible for people across India. The partnership aims to remove language barriers by allowing customers to access banking services, information and digital platforms in their preferred Indian languages. The agreement was signed by Amitabh Nag, Chief Executive Officer of the Digital India BHASHINI Division, and Atish Kumar Rout, Chief General Manager (Digital) at Punjab National Bank.

Partnership to strengthen inclusive and voice-first banking

The collaboration will integrate BHASHINI's indigenous AI-powered language technologies across PNB's digital banking ecosystem through initiatives such as BHASHINI Udyat, Mitra, AppMitra, Pravakta and Bhashadaan. These tools will support multilingual translation, voice-based interactions, language models designed specifically for banking, AI-assisted documentation and improved customer communication.

The initiative also encourages the creation of banking glossaries in multiple Indian languages and the contribution of linguistic data to further improve AI-driven language technologies. Officials believe the project will make digital financial services easier to understand and use, especially for customers who prefer interacting in regional languages.

Initiative supports Digital Public Infrastructure vision

Punjab National Bank Executive Director M. Paramasivam said the collaboration demonstrates how Digital Public Infrastructure can improve access to essential services by combining multilingual AI with public service delivery. He noted that the partnership will help create more equitable and citizen-friendly digital banking services.

BHASHINI CEO Amitabh Nag said language should never prevent people from accessing financial services. He described the partnership as another step towards building a voice-first multilingual banking ecosystem, where customers can confidently interact with banking services in the language of their choice.

PNB's Atish Kumar Rout said the bank remains committed to providing secure, customer-focused digital services and that integrating BHASHINI's AI capabilities will make its digital platforms more inclusive for people from diverse linguistic backgrounds.

The partnership is expected to accelerate the use of multilingual AI across India's banking sector while strengthening financial inclusion and encouraging wider adoption of citizen-centric digital banking services.