Piyush Goyal discusses expanding AI adoption via voice-first, vernacular solutions with Puch AI CEO

NEW DELHI: Union Minister of Commerce and Industry Piyush Goyal held discussions on expanding artificial intelligence (AI) adoption in India with Siddharth Bhatia, co-founder and CEO of Puch AI, focusing on the potential of voice-first and vernacular AI solutions.

In a social media post, the minister’s office said that the meeting explored opportunities to scale AI adoption across the country, particularly by leveraging technologies that are accessible to a wider population.

It stated “Minister @PiyushGoyal met Siddharth Bhatia, Co-Founder & CEO of @Puch_ai, and discussed opportunities to expand AI adoption in India, particularly through voice-first and vernacular AI solutions. Also exchanged views on leveraging AI to support startups, MSMEs, and citizen services, while encouraging innovation in building globally competitive AI products from India”.

Minister @PiyushGoyal met @SiddharthB_, Co-Founder & CEO of @Puch_ai, and discussed opportunities to expand AI adoption in India, particularly through voice-first and vernacular AI solutions.

Also exchanged views on leveraging AI to support startups, MSMEs, and citizen services,… pic.twitter.com/TCdZI9Uvwe

— Piyush Goyal Office (@PiyushGoyalOffc) March 16, 2026

The two sides also exchanged views on how AI can be used to support startups, micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs), and citizen services. The interaction underscored the importance of encouraging innovation to build globally competitive AI products from India.

Puch AI, an India-based voice-first artificial intelligence platform, is designed to enhance accessibility by allowing users to interact through WhatsApp and phone calls. The platform offers a multilingual assistant that supports over 22 Indian languages. It enables users to perform conversational tasks, generate images, and conduct fact-checking without the need to download new applications.

The company said that it aims to make AI accessible to everyone and position itself as a gateway to artificial intelligence for billions of users. It noted that while a majority of tech-literate users in the United States and other parts of the world have already experienced AI tools such as ChatGPT, widespread adoption in a country like India is still evolving.

The discussions come amid increasing focus on leveraging AI for inclusive growth, with emphasis on building solutions that cater to India’s linguistic diversity and large user base. (ANI)