A while back we came across an article from Quartz Media “To compete online in India, businesses will soon have to work in 122 languages” and we had to find out if it was true.
With 1.25 billion people, India is the second most populous nation and one of the fastest growing major economies. While India is home to 125 million English speakers, some 80–85% of the population
India's Internet Usage Continues to Grow
Furthermore, the number of people using local languages to access the internet is approaching 150 million and is growing at a much faster rate than those using English due to the increasing use of smartphones in rural areas. In fact, only about a third of the nation’s population (460 million people) are currently using the internet, but the millions who have still not gone online are expected to by 2019.
The government is helping drive that growth through its investment in Wi-Fi infrastructure development in rural areas through the Digital India campaign. As a result, more Indians are buying smartphones and going online with handheld devices. Furthermore, the government’s plans to go cashless are driving increased demand for banking and payment portal apps in local languages to facilitate online financial services and transactions.
Translating to Hindi & English May not be Enough
While businesses may not need to translate into 122 of the major languages to reach most of the currently-online Indian population, they may want to start planning to translate into the 22 scheduled languages.
In the meantime, here are a few interesting Hindi proverbs from BBC to inspire you:
बंदर क्या जाने अदरख का स्वाद
[bandar kya jane adrakh ka swad]
A monkey doesn't know the taste of ginger
Meaning: Those who don't know, can't appreciate.
थोथा चना बाजे घना
[thotha chana baje ghana]
A hollow lentil makes more noise
Meaning: Those who are not capable of delivering, talk more.
Meaning: बहती गंगा में हाथ धोना
[bahti ganga me hath dhona]
To wash one’s hand in the river (Ganges)
Meaning: To be an opportunist.
