Bank of Baroda unveiled bob SAMVAD, an AI-powered multilingual conversational platform, which was formally launched in Mumbai on March 28th, 2026, by Shri M. Nagaraju, Secretary of the Department of Financial Services (DFS), Ministry of Finance. The platform is positioned as an industry-first effort designed to transform customer interactions within bank branches.
The goal of bob SAMVAD is to eliminate language barriers, allowing customers and branch staff to communicate seamlessly using their preferred language.
Secretary, DFS, commended Bank of Baroda for its innovative application of technology to improve the customer experience and bridge linguistic gaps in banking. He stated that the initiative is expected to promote more inclusive and accessible service delivery, setting a new benchmark for the sector.
Dr. Debadatta Chand, Managing Director & CEO, Bank of Baroda, commented on the launch, noting that the bank is utilizing AI to make its branches more customer-friendly by enabling real-time, seamless conversations in local languages. This move, he added, reflects the bank's commitment to operational excellence by merging technology with customer-centric design.
Developed entirely in-house, bob SAMVAD employs AI-driven speech and language technologies. It facilitates real-time, low-latency, two-way communication across 22 languages, ensuring both contextual accuracy and natural fluency while accommodating India's linguistic diversity.
At the service counter, the application manages communication between customers and branch staff, even when they speak different languages. Customers can speak or input their queries in their native tongue, which are instantly translated into the staff member's chosen language, and vice versa. This facilitates smooth, real-time dialogue, ensuring efficient service delivery. The interaction is presented as text on the screen, and it includes an optional voice mode feature to convert text to speech, enhancing accessibility for all users.
In the initial phase, bob SAMVAD deployment is scheduled across 250 branches located in Tamil Nadu, Karnataka, Telangana, Andhra Pradesh, and Maharashtra. Following this, the platform will undergo a phased, large-scale rollout across the Bank's broader branch network.
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