CHENNAI: To take Tamil into the artificial intelligence era, the Tamil Nadu government on Wednesday (August 5) announced that it will develop a Tamil Large Language Model (Tamil LLM), marking one of the country's most ambitious efforts to integrate a classical language with cutting-edge digital technologies.
The flagship initiative, unveiled in the Revised Budget Estimates for 2026-27, will be spearheaded by the Tamil Virtual Academy to strengthen Tamil computing, develop AI-powered language tools, improve translation capabilities and expand the use of Tamil across emerging digital platforms.
Presenting the Budget in the Assembly, Finance Minister N Marie Wilson said the initiative reflected the government's vision of ensuring that Tamil remained not merely a language of history and literature, but also one equipped to thrive in the rapidly evolving technological landscape.
"Our Government is committed to preserving the richness of Tamil while ensuring that it becomes a language of the future through innovation and technology," Wilson said.
The Budget also unveiled a series of measures to promote Tamil among younger generations. A cash incentive of Rs 5,000 will be awarded to 500 students who successfully memorise 300 Thirukkural couplets, while an annual Quaid-e-Millat Award will be instituted to honour outstanding contributions to the development of Tamil.
To deepen awareness of Tamil's civilization legacy, the government will organise educational tours for students to the archaeological sites of Keezhadi, Adichanallur and Kodumanal. The Budget also proposes enhanced financial assistance for Tamil scholars and statewide essay and oratorical competitions to encourage literary excellence.