Bank of Baroda (the Bank) unveiled bob SAMVAD, an AI powered multilingual conversational platform, in Mumbai on 28 March 2026 at a launch attended by M. Nagaraju, Secretary of the Department of Financial Services. The Secretary characterised the initiative as a step towards more inclusive and accessible banking and praised the bank’s use of technology to bridge language barriers.

Developed in house, bob SAMVAD is designed to transform in branch customer interactions by enabling real time, low latency, two way communication across 22 languages. The platform leverages AI driven speech and language technologies to maintain contextual accuracy and natural fluency while embracing India’s linguistic diversity. The system supports text and optional audio output to suit customer preferences.

At the service counter the application facilitates seamless exchange between customers and branch staff even when they speak different languages by translating inputs instantly into the staff member’s chosen language and vice versa. Interactions are displayed as text on screen with an option to convert text to speech for those who prefer audio, which will enhance accessibility and reduce misunderstandings. The low latency design aims to preserve natural conversational flow during service delivery.

The initial rollout will cover 250 branches across Tamil Nadu, Karnataka, Telangana, Andhra Pradesh and Maharashtra, followed by a phased large scale deployment across the bank’s branch network. The visit to bob Forest underscored the bank’s environmental, social and governance commitments; bob Forest is a 6,000 sq ft green oasis at the BKC office. The bank described the launch as part of a wider strategy combining operational excellence and customer centric design to improve service efficiency.

Bank leaders indicated that the platform sets a new benchmark for the sector by promoting inclusion and operational resilience and said the in house development underlines its commitment to innovate. The bank signalled that customer service at branches will be strengthened through faster resolution of queries and more personalised assistance enabled by the multilingual AI system.