As a kid she never had screen time with her grandmother.
No video waiting to play on YouTube, no podcast and no AI assistant.
All there was was a charpai in the courtyard and the air was fresh that evening, and there was the familiar voice narrating the story in Hindi.
Some years back the same boy or girl had a cell phone as a baby.
Now she watches Hindi videos, messages in Hinglish, looks for the recipes with Hindi language words and occasionally asks any question in Hindi language to an AI tool.
The way things are done with technology has all changed.
However, the language has come with her.
That’s what makes Hindi Diwas more interesting than what it is just another date on the calendar. It isn’t just a matter of recollection of the history of Hindi. This is also a chance to observe the evolution of the language from generation to generation.
One of the largest of the changes is taking place online today.
Hindi Diwas is celebrated every year on 14th September.
The date is 14 September 1949, when Hindi (in Devanagari script) was made the official language of the Union by the Constituent Assembly. Hindi Diwas is celebrated to commemorate that and encourage the use of Hindi.
Since 1953, the day has been observed all over India.
The story of Hindi wasn’t just 1949, however.
Hindi has been a part of family dialogues, literature, film, newspapers, songs, education, and day-to-day life for generations now.
The changes that have occurred over the past few years have been in where and how people use it.
And it is this change that is increasingly becoming noticeable in the digital world.
Discuss about the various ways in which Hindi is used by various generations.
A grandmother might like to get a handwritten message or a lengthy discussion at tea time.
Her children might have been reading the Hindi newspapers and watching Hindi movies.
The next generation may be able to communicate via “whatsapp” or Instagram and short videos or YouTube.
With voice assistants, translation tools and AI today’s kids are being raised.
The medium that we’re working with is a fluid one.
The language adapts.
One of the reasons why Hindi is not dead yet. That doesn’t need to mean it has to remain in textbooks. Can expand to new areas of life and maintain emotional bonds with people.
A message in Hindi by a friend can be more personal than a message in English. Some of a grandmother’s warmth is lost in translation when it is word-for-word.
Language is used for more than information.
It also has to do with the feel of something.
The Internet has revolutionized the way people are creating and consuming Hindi content and media.
Now, a person who used to have to go to a newspaper, television channel or publishing house to have their message conveyed can now make a video in Hindi using a smartphone.
YouTube users watch educational videos in Hindi.Educational videos are created on YouTube in Hindi language.
Hindi and Hinglish jokes, stories and opinions are shared on social media.
Advertisements are being made in Hindi to target people in this language.
There are millions of readers who read news on news platforms in Hindi.
This has resulted in a great increase in the multilingualism of the internet.
Not always Hindi is found in pure Hindi.
Many of the sentences read like:
Online meeting today, send the link on WhatsApp.
It’s a combination of Hindi and English with modern lifestyle in one go.
That is Hinglish.
Some consider this intermingling of languages as troublesome. Some regard it as a natural process of language evolution.
In either case it is a telling sign: Young Indians are not necessarily giving up on Hindi. They’re altering their usage of it.
That’s when things start to get even more interesting.
AI is transforming the user experience of products/technology.
People can now talk to technology, rather than tap out a lengthy search query.
The users can search information in Indian languages as opposed to English instructions.
This presents an interesting point to consider:
Is Hindi becoming an even larger part of India’s AI future?
India is already on the path to language technology with various initiatives like BHASHINI, which is aimed at enhancing the accessibility of digital services and AI in Indian languages.
The Digital India BHASHINI Division will further expand the India language-AI ecosystem with focus on developing multilingual and voice-first AI in 2026.
Additionally, the government has emphasized the importance of AI, machine learning and language technologies to enhance the accessibility of digital services in the Indian languages.
This is important because when people can use technology comfortably, then it will be most useful.
Technology should not be a language barrier if someone is more comfortable in asking the question in Hindi than in English.
Translation is a word that invariably comes to mind when one mentions the use of technology in Hindi.
However, all the possibilities are far larger.
Suppose you are a small shop owner, and you are speaking Hindi with an AI assistant and requesting its assistance with writing a product description.
Suppose a student asks you to explain a hard concept in science to him/her in simple Hindi.
See a farmer using the voice service to get the information he needs without having to type.
Now envision a senior using voice technology without having to master the intricacies of English.
The examples demonstrate the importance of language technology.
It is not merely a translation of the English into Hindi.
It is to ensure the ease and familiarity of technology.
India is heading towards this direction in its recent developments of Multilingual AI with platforms and projects dedicated to Indian Language models, translation, speech, voice-based technology.
It’s a long way to go.
It’s not enough just to have a translation button for a language that’s gaining traction online.
It needs good-quality digital content.
Requires correct speech recognition.
Requires trustworthy translations.
It requires technology with understanding of various speech modes.
It requires creators, writers, teachers and businesses to keep creating useful and informative content in Hindi.
This is particularly significant as Hindi is a language which is spoken in many different ways based on region and location.
The Hindi used at home may not necessarily be the one used in the text book.
Not all that diversity is a bad thing.
It’s a wonderful aspect of the language.
To a youngster today, Hindi Diwas may not imply that he sits in front of a Hindi grammar book.
It may be something so simple.
Reading Hindi stories.
Following a Hindi creator.
Creating a post on Social media in Hindi language.
Addressing grandparents in Hindi language.
Reading Hindi literature.
Or even asking an AI tool a question in Hindi!
But the key is not about the similarity of the Hindi to be written 50 or 100 years back.
Language is always changing.
But more important is the fact that Hindi still has a place in the places that the next generation spends their time.
It is digital and more and more often that space.
Return to that grandma, who tells her stories.
Her sayings were carried on from generation to generation.
Stories such as these can now be documented through a podcast, created as a video on YouTube, be it a blog or even captured digitally via AI resources.
The format will be subject to change.
The voice is likely to sound different.
However, the story might be left out.
Well, this is actually what may be the real story behind Hindi Diwas.
Hindi doesn’t have to pick a side, it can have both.
It can transport the heat of grandmother’s tales to a world of smart phones, social media and AI.
It might not be the case that the future of Hindi is lying within an old book!
It could be via the phone, on a screen and answering inquiries using AI.
Well, maybe that’s what makes a language alive — that it doesn’t change, it simply takes on new voices with each generation.
Hindi Diwas is celebrated every year on 14 September.
It commemorates the 14 September 1949 decision to adopt Hindi in Devanagari script as the official language of the Union.
Hindi in Devanagari script was adopted by the Constituent Assembly on 14 September 1949.
Hindi is increasingly being used in digital content, social media, voice technology, translation tools and AI-based services.
Hindi has the potential to play an important role in India’s multilingual AI ecosystem as voice, translation and language technologies continue to develop.
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