Vinod Bhat
The Ministry of Information & Broadcasting has launched the WAVEX Startup Challenge 2025 under its flagship startup accelerator program, WaveX. The challenge invites startups across the country to participate in a national hackathon to develop an AI-powered multilingual translation solution.
Titled ‘BhashaSetu – Real-Time Language Tech for Bharat’, the challenge aims to encourage the development of innovative artificial intelligence tools capable of real-time translation, transliteration, and voice localization across at least 12 major Indian languages. The initiative seeks to foster inclusive, accessible, and emotion-aware communication technologies.
In a move to encourage broader participation, the challenge has no minimum eligibility criteria, allowing startups at any stage of development to apply. Startups are encouraged to build scalable and cost-effective solutions using open-source or low-cost AI models. However, proprietary solutions may also be proposed, provided they remain affordable and practical for wide-scale deployment.
The winning startup will be provided incubation support under the WaveX Accelerator, including mentorship, workspace, and development assistance until the final product is completed and deployed. Registrations are open from today, June 30, 2025, and the deadline to submit prototypes is July 22, 2025. Interested startups can apply via the official WAVEX portal at: https://wavex.wavesbazaar.com
About WaveX
WaveX is the dedicated startup accelerator platform launched under the Ministry of Information & Broadcasting’s WAVES initiative, aimed at nurturing innovation in the media, entertainment, and language technology sectors. At the WAVES Summit held in Mumbai in May 2025, WaveX provided pitching opportunities to over 30 promising startups, enabling direct engagement with government agencies, investors, and industry leaders. WaveX continues to support breakthrough ideas through targeted hackathons, incubation, mentorship, and integration with national platforms.
