The Securities and Exchange Board of India has signed a memorandum of understanding with the Digital India BHASHINI Division to improve access to the regulator's services in regional Indian languages. The agreement took effect on 3 November 2026.
SEBI said it will be able to use BHASHINI's language APIs, models and tools. The planned capabilities include automatic speech recognition, text-to-speech, machine translation and optical character recognition.
Four technology layers are in scope
Automatic speech recognition can convert spoken language into text, while text-to-speech tools can make written material available as audio. Machine translation can support language conversion, and optical character recognition can extract text from scanned or image-based material.
The release does not specify the first SEBI services that will adopt these tools or a public rollout timetable. Implementation will therefore need to be assessed service by service, including the accuracy and accessibility standards used for investor-facing material.
Securities terminology will feed the models
The cooperation is intended to work in both directions. SEBI will use BHASHINI's tools, while securities-market terminology will be used to enhance BHASHINI's language models.
Financial language presents a particular accuracy challenge because similar everyday words can have specific regulatory meanings. Market intermediaries will need clarity on whether translated material is informational or authoritative when compared with the original regulatory text.
BHASHINI sits inside Digital India Corporation
The Digital India BHASHINI Division is an independent division under Digital India Corporation, a Section 8 not-for-profit company established by the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology. The MoU was signed by BHASHINI chief executive Amitabh Nag and SEBI whole-time member Sandip Pradhan.
For regulated entities, the project may eventually affect how disclosures, investor education and service interfaces are designed. The release does not announce new compliance obligations for brokers, exchanges or other intermediaries.
Key numbers
- MoU date: 3 November 2026
- SEBI press release: 68/2026
- Named technology capabilities: four
- Signing organisations: two
- Effective date: 3 November 2026
What boards and CFOs should note
- Which investor services will be prioritised under the 3 November MoU?
- How will translated output be validated against authoritative regulatory language?
- Will future multilingual interfaces require changes to intermediary technology and controls?
Source: SEBI press release 68/2026, 3 November 2026. This is a summary of an official release, published as general information. It is not legal, tax or investment advice.
This article is journalism and commentary. It is not a recommendation to buy or sell any security, and it is not professional advice. Read the full disclaimer.
