Bengaluru Police Use AI VANKI for Multilingual Emergency Calls

The Bengaluru City Police have introduced VANKI, an AI-powered platform designed to eliminate language barriers in emergency services. Integrated into the city’s Namma 112 helpline, this system facilitates real-time communication between dispatchers and callers.

Its full designation is Multilingual Voice AI for Nationwide Key Interventions. The development of VANKI was initiated following a distress call from a Manipuri-speaking resident that highlighted a critical gap in existing emergency communication infrastructure.

Key Features and Language Support

VANKI allows emergency calls to be processed without the need for human translators during critical situations. This aims to substantially reduce the time required to assist individuals who do not speak Kannada or Hindi.

• Bengali
• Gujarati
• Odia
• Manipuri
• Kashmiri
• Nepali
• Assamese
• Spanish
• French
• Arabic

The system currently supports more than 10 languages, making it vital for Bengaluru’s diverse population, which includes migrants and international residents.

Private Sector Collaboration and Broader Implications

The Bengaluru police collaborated with private technology firms Aeos Labs and Monday Ventures to develop VANKI. These developers are unlisted companies, meaning their deployment has no direct impact on the stock market.

This initiative represents a broader trend of government bodies adopting AI and private-sector technological solutions to enhance public infrastructure. The effectiveness of this AI tool in reducing response times could set a precedent for other metropolitan police forces across India, encouraging similar technology adoption to meet diverse demographic needs.