iWorld
Instagram speaks desi as Meta adds AI translations in more languages
MUMBAI: India didn’t just steal the spotlight at Meta’s ‘House of Instagram’ event in Mumbai, it became the headline act. In a move that cements India’s status as one of Meta’s most influential creator markets, the company unveiled a fresh wave of AI-powered features designed to help creators reach wider audiences, speak to more communities, and style their content in scripts that feel authentically local.
Leading the update pack is a major language expansion, Meta AI translations will soon support reels in five new Indian languages Bengali, Tamil, Telugu, Kannada, and Marathi. This comes just weeks after Meta first rolled out reel translation, dubbing, and lip-sync capabilities across English, Hindi, Spanish, and Portuguese, allowing creators to fluently “speak” across continents without ever re-shooting their content.
The new additions extend that promise even further. Creators will be able to transform their reels so they look and sound fluent in multiple Indian languages, while Meta AI preserves their original tone, voice, and style. For those seeking full cinematic flair, the optional lip-sync feature will sync translated audio perfectly to their mouth movements making it appear as though they delivered the dialogue in the new language.
Meta says the goal is simple: give creators the tools to grow global followings while still staying rooted in their cultural identity.
But the language lift doesn’t stop at audio.
In a move bound to make editors and storytellers cheer, Instagram will also introduce new Indian fonts across Edits. Creators will now be able to style their text and captions in Devanagari and Bengali-Assamese scripts, supporting languages such as Hindi, Marathi, Bengali, and Assamese. The update will roll out first on Android in the coming days.
Using the new fonts remains as intuitive as ever:
1. Open your editing timeline and tap Text.
2. Click on the Aa icon to browse available fonts.
3. If your device is already set to Devanagari or Bengali-Assamese, the fonts appear by default, otherwise, a small downward swipe in the “all fonts” tab will let you filter by language.
These updates arrive on the heels of a busy month for Instagram’s creator tools. Meta recently introduced AI-powered restyling for Stories, bulk caption editing, video reversal features, lip-sync tools for photos, and access to 400 new sound effects, signalling an aggressive push to make Instagram the most versatile and creator-friendly platform in the country.
With India home to one of the world’s largest creator communities and one of Instagram’s most vibrant Meta’s message at the Mumbai event was unmistakable: the future of the platform will speak many languages, but increasingly, it will speak in India’s.
iWorld
Anirudh Ravichander and Universal Music India join forces to take South India’s sound to the world
The composer behind 13 billion streams launches Albuquerque Records with UMI as its exclusive global partner
MUMBAI: Universal Music India has struck an exclusive partnership with Albuquerque Records, the freshly minted independent label of singer-composer Anirudh Ravichander, in a deal that bets big on South India’s booming pop and hip-hop scene going global.
The arrangement, announced on 17 March, will see Universal Music India handle future pop and hip-hop releases by Anirudh himself, as well as artists signed to the new label. A first release is already in the pipeline for April, featuring Anirudh.
The numbers behind the man are hard to ignore. Debuting in 2012 with the viral sensation “Why This Kolaveri Di”, Anirudh has since clocked over 13 billion audio streams across more than 770 tracks, cementing his position as the No.1 South Indian artist on Spotify by total streams. His fingerprints are all over some of the Tamil film industry’s biggest musical moments, from Hukum and Vaathi Coming to Arabic Kuthu and the A23 Theme.
But Albuquerque Records is a different beast. Built for the non-film space, it is designed to nurture independent talent and champion the next wave of Indian pop voices. “Universal Music India’s leadership in pop and hip-hop made them the natural partner,” said Anirudh. “I’m excited to take independent voices to audiences around the world.”
Universal Music India’s chairman and CEO Devraj Sanyal was equally effusive. “Anirudh represents the future of Indian music, bold, original, and with enormous potential,” he said. “Identifying transformative talent is our superpower, and this partnership reflects that belief.”
Sanujeet Bhujabal, managing director of Universal Music India, framed the deal as more than a distribution play. “Albuquerque Records represents Anirudh’s bold artistic vision in the world of pop and hip-hop,” he said. “True to his legacy of innovation, this partnership is set to establish yet another landmark creative space, this time for the emerging world of iPop and beyond.”
For Universal Music India, the deal deepens a long-running push into South India’s four key language markets: Tamil, Malayalam, Kannada and Telugu. The label already has regional imprints, film partnerships with Maddock Films and Excel Entertainment, and a growing non-film roster. Landing Anirudh, arguably the south’s most bankable music brand, is a statement of intent. South Indian music has the streams. Now it is coming for the world.
