City innovator is tech game changer

CHENNAI: Building mobile phone software that allows the user to communicate and access critical services in his native language has taken Chennai-based software engineer Umesh Sachdev into the list of drawn up by Time magazine “10 millennials who are changing the world”. Mr Sachdev and his friend Ravi Saraogi launched Uniphore Software Systems in 2008. Their startup produces software that allows people to interact with their phones and access services such as online banking by communicating in their native languages.

“Over 700 million people in India are living in villages and they are digitally deprived. Language plays a key role in digital technology,” Mr Sachedv told Deccan Chronicle when asked to comment on the achievement. “Though in the last decade mobile phones reached most of the Indians, they are primarily using it as a communication device. So, we wanted to ensure that they interact with the technology in their native languages,” he said.

The biggest challenge is only giants like Apple and Amazon are involved in research in these areas. “It’s not like 100 start-ups are working in this field. Even after eight years many CEO’s and CTO’s are surprised with the technology when we explain to them,” he said. Our goal is to make villagers in India avail online banking and other digital solutions through phones, he said.

The American magazine said at last count, Uniphore’s products – which include a virtual assistant able to process more than 25 global languages and 150 dialects – were being used by over 5 million people, mostly in India and beyond.

Prior to launching Uniphore, Mr Sachdev co-founded Singularis Technologies, whose Mobile Theft Security product received global recognition.  Sachdev (30) stumbled upon the idea of developing such software when he and Mr Saraogi were travelling through rural TN and found people were using their phones only for making voice calls.

"They weren't accessing the Internet or using any other services. They could not because their phones did not carry the language of the villagers," he said. Immediately, Mr Sachdev and Mr Saraogi began working on their next big project and the result is the software that understands the native language of the user. “Phones can help increase financial inclusion or help a farmer get weather information. But you need a way for people to interact with the technology out there," he said.