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AI4Bharat, RBI's Guidelines, Google Play Store, Govt. Owned OTT, OpenAI-Musk etc.

AI4Bharat, RBI's Guidelines, Google Play Store, Govt. Owned OTT, OpenAI-Musk etc.

Vaishali Sharma
March 07, 2024

Empowering Indian Languages: The Launch of IndicVoices by AI4Bharat

Launch of IndicVoices: AI4Bharat at IIT Madras released an open-source speech dataset named IndicVoices, encompassing 22 Indian languages.
Funding and Support: Supported financially by Bhashini (Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology), Ekstep Foundation, and Nilekani Philanthropies.
Purpose: To facilitate the development of IndicASR, the first Automatic Speech Recognition model for all 22 languages in the 8th schedule of the Indian Constitution.
Dataset Details: IndicVoices includes 7,348 hours of audio from 16,237 speakers across 145 districts, covering read, extempore, and conversational speech.
Transcription Efforts: Out of the total hours, 1,639 have been transcribed, with a median of 73 hours per language.
Open-Source Blueprint: AI4Bharat provided a detailed blueprint for data collection, including standardized protocols and transcription guidelines.
Impact on Startups and Academia: The dataset lowers barriers for innovation, allowing for new solutions tailored to Indian languages and needs.
Government’s Role: Bhashini's funding aims to enrich Indian language content and facilitate public digital services leveraging AI technologies.

RBI Aims for Sustainable Fintech Expansion, Assures Governor Das

RBI's Stance on Fintech: Governor Shaktikanta Das emphasizes that RBI supports fintech growth, with no opposition against them.
Paytm Case Reference: Recent RBI actions, including penalties on Paytm bank, are targeted at addressing non-compliance issues, not against fintech industry.
Extended Deadline for Paytm: Paytm Payments Bank given until March 15 to wind down operations, following an extension from an initial deadline.
Impact on Customers: Approximately 15-20% of customers reliant on Paytm Payments Bank are transitioning to other banks.
RBI's Supervisory Measures: Enhanced supervision to prevent financial mishaps, aiming for sustainable growth in the financial sector.
Governor's Vision: Sustainable and robust growth for the financial sector is the RBI's primary focus.

Google and Indian Apps Call a Truce: A Four-Month Window to Resolve Billing Feud

Four-Month Truce: Agreement between Google and Indian apps on a four-month extension for fee payment.
Government Intervention: Indian IT ministry steps in due to dispute over Google’s in-app purchase commission rates.
Temporary App Restoration: Google restores apps by ten developers, allowing in-app purchases again.
Search for Long-Term Solution: Efforts underway to develop a solution that supports the Indian digital economy and startups.
Supreme Court Involvement: Ongoing legal proceedings with the next hearing on March 19.
Ministerial Meeting for Resolution: Union IT Minister mediates discussions for a long-term resolution.

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NPCI and IISc Collaborate on Cutting-Edge Blockchain and AI Research
Ensuring Authenticity: Govt to Act on Machine-Made Products Sold as Handmade, Piyush Goyal Declares
Employment in AI, Oil, and Gas Sectors Climbs 20% in February
India's First Government-Run OTT, CSpace, to Debut in Kerala on March 7
Salaries in India Projected to Grow by 9.6% on Average in 2024, Reveals EY