Srinagar, August 22: The National Institute of Technology (NIT) Srinagar hosted KATHE 2026: AI Challenge for Kashmiri Language Translation, a national-level initiative focused on leveraging artificial intelligence and machine learning to advance language technology for Kashmiri, one of India’s low-resource languages.
The challenge centred on English-to-Kashmiri machine translation, bringing together students, researchers, linguists, academics, technology professionals and volunteers to develop and evaluate AI-driven solutions for Kashmiri language translation.
Organised by Gaash Lab, NIT Srinagar, the initiative was conducted in collaboration with the Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS), with the University of Kashmir serving as the academic collaborator and GitHub as the primary sponsor.
The event was attended by Prof. Roohie Naaz, Dean, Research and Consultancy, NIT Srinagar; Prof. Aadil Amin Kak, Professor of Linguistics and Director, Sheikh-ul-Alam Centre for Multidisciplinary Studies, University of Kashmir; and Prof. Shabir Ahmad Sofi, Head, Department of Information Technology, NIT Srinagar. Dr Janib Ul Bashir and Dr Iqra Altaf Gillani coordinated the programme.
Experts Highlight Role of AI in Regional Languages
Addressing the gathering, experts underlined the growing significance of artificial intelligence in language technology and emphasised the need to build robust digital resources and tools for regional and low-resource languages.
Prof. Roohie Naaz said KATHE 2026 reflects NIT Srinagar’s efforts to apply AI to real-world challenges while promoting technological innovation for regional languages. She appreciated the organisers, academic collaborators, technology partners and participating teams for bringing together expertise from diverse fields.
Prof. Shabir Ahmad Sofi said the challenge offered participants an opportunity to apply artificial intelligence and natural language processing (NLP) to Kashmiri translation while encouraging research and innovation in language-specific technologies.
Prof. Aadil Amin Kak and Mr Pranjal Chitale delivered expert perspectives on “AI in Language and Its Future”, highlighting the opportunities as well as technical challenges associated with developing AI systems for languages with limited digital resources.
Heidelberg University Team Secures First Position
During the challenge, participating teams presented their machine-translation systems and outlined the methodologies used in developing their solutions. Entries were evaluated based on performance against a confidential test set, along with the quality of their technical presentations.
TeamHD from Heidelberg University, Germany, secured the first position, followed by TeamIJ from IIT Jammu in second place and Team Tabaq Maaz from NIT Srinagar in third place.
Three consolation awards were also presented. Noore from Heriot-Watt University, Edinburgh, received the Young Achiever Award; Team Kåv from NIT Srinagar received the Innovation Excellence Award; and KatheBathe from GDC Anantnag was presented the Low-Resource Innovation Award.
Focus on Low-Resource Language Technology
The challenge provided participants with practical exposure to the complete machine-learning pipeline, including data preparation, model development, training, validation and error analysis.
According to the organisers, research focused on Kashmiri and other low-resource languages can contribute to broader developments in multilingual AI, particularly in areas such as transfer learning, efficient model adaptation and human-in-the-loop evaluation.
KATHE 2026 underscored the potential of collaborative research and emerging AI technologies in strengthening the digital presence of Kashmiri and developing more inclusive language technologies for India’s diverse linguistic landscape.
