A translation services provider in India has revealed the translation sector is enjoying significant growth. Speaking to the Indian Express, director of Translation Panacea Vidula Tokekar revealed she has witnessed a 15 to 20 per cent expansion of the translation industry in Pune, which is one of India’s largest cities. Customers are looking for translations of everything from official documents to best-selling novels, she said. The languages that are particularly in demand when it comes to these translation services are European. Ms Tokekar explained that French and Spanish are among the most popular. India does not have an official national language and across the country, hundreds of different languages are spoken. The majority of the population speaks one of the Indo-Aryan languages, while almost a quarter speak a language from the Dravidian family. The government of the Republic of India lists Standard Hindi as its official language and English as its second. However, the number of individual languages spoken in India is thought to number in the several hundreds. Now, figures suggest European translations are being sought of texts written in some of India’s languages. “We have translated land records in Kannada to Spanish. With more companies coming into India, the reach and scope of the translation industry will only grow more,” said Ms Tokekar. She continued that businesses working in multiple international locales have approached her firm to provide translations of legal documents, contracts and land records as part of the process of establishing offices in India. However, the corporate world is not the only sector requesting these services. Translations of best-selling works of fiction, such as the Harry Potter series by JK Rowling, are also proving popular. An increasing number of companies in the UK are opting to do business in India. The country has one of the largest and fastest-growing economies in the world and its imports are also rising fast. After generations spent with agriculture at the centre of its economy, India is now placing a greater emphasis on manufacturing and services. A report last month by the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India revealed that during March 2013 alone, 143.20 million wireless subscribers in India accessed the internet through their mobile phones. This suggests that there are millions of customers businesses that have translated their websites could potentially target. Once a business has ascertained through extensive research the area of India they feel they have the most likelihood of enjoying success in, they can begin researching their website translation. Each state has a different language that is dominant, and finding out what language is spoken in the locale the company is targeting is a way of pursuing potential clients effectively. However, translation services will be required for more than just the website. Businesses attempting to break into the Indian market will also need to get their printed materials translated, particularly their business cards. Presenting a potential client with a business card written in one of India’s languages – most likely Hindi – will illustrate to them that yours is a business willing to go that extra mile for them. Little details like these will work better than lavish gifts or attractive deals. If you require language services, find out more about how Language Insight can help you here.
