Telangana inks pact with Google for 'Digital Telangana'

Hyderabad:  Continuing to build on its vision of 'Digital Telangana', Google India and the Telangana Government on Wednesday signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to improve and get more local language content online using Google's digital publishing tool, Navlekha.

The effort has already rolled out several initiatives aimed towards bridging the digital divide, mentoring local startups and enabling small and medium businesses to gain from the internet.

As part of the MoU, Google will work with the state government to help digitise the government's content in Telugu to make it easier for the common man to get access to all the information and services on government sites in their local languages.

Besides, Google will also collaborate with the government to support its digital literacy vision and aid in the overall digitization agenda of the state.

"Google has been a trusted partner for Telangana who have already set up their office in Hyderabad and are in the process of setting-up their 2nd largest campus in Hyderabad. We have identified that availability of content in native language over the internet is essential for all citizens of Telangana to use internet actively," said Jayesh Ranjan, Principal Secretary ITE&C and Industries Department, Telangana government.

"We look forward to collaborating with Google to meet the vision of the internet for all which is part of Digital Telangana, increasing native language content available over the internet and improve the usability of Google Maps in villages and rural regions as well," he added.

Google will also be involved in providing technical mentorship and advisory support to various government departments for successful implementation of multiple digital projects.

"Improving access to government's vast pool of information online in local languages can significantly contribute to developing an inclusive web experience for all the citizens," said Chetan Krishnaswamy, Director, Public Policy, Google India and South Asia.