Centurion University team pushes tribal AI project into final validation phase

Researchers at Centurion University of Technology and Management have entered the final phase of community validation for Mahul Vani AI, a multilingual artificial intelligence platform built for tribal communities.

The project is led by the Magicterrain Foundation, a Section 8 non-profit focused on ecology, indigenous knowledge systems, and rural livelihoods. Developed over two years under its MTF Prayog initiative, the platform supports over 30 tribal languages, including Saora, Kandha, Oraon, Munda, Santhal, and Chenchu.

The system has been trained on more than one lakh entries from tribal and local knowledge sources, aimed at enabling native-language, context-based AI responses for remote communities.

Designed for field use, the platform allows farmers to upload crop images and receive advisory support in their own language through a “crop doctor” feature.

Trials have been completed in Odisha’s Gumma block, while baseline data collection has concluded in Andhra Pradesh’s Nallamala region. Testing in Chenchu tribal areas is set for June, alongside a first-phase rollout in West Bengal’s Buxa Tiger Reserve from June 20.

The project is guided by Dr Atanu Deb of Centurion University and the founding director of MTF. Technical leadership is with Sambhav Barik, supported by a core research team including Basabendra Sinha Mahapatra, Jonnala Saikrishna Reddy, and Saranya Yadav. Field validation is being supported by Dr Preetha Bhadra, Purnajyoti Khanra, Subhankar Chhaondogi, and A. Divesh Babu. Funding support comes from J C Kumarappa Technology Park & Innovation Centre LLP.

Dr Deb said over 5,000 baseline surveys have already been completed, with the dataset expanding during ongoing field validation. He said the platform is tailored to local conditions, integrating village-level agricultural and environmental data to improve relevance for tribal users in remote regions.