The Role of Vernacular Languages in Product Design for the Indian Market

India is a nation of over 1.4 billion people, who converse in more than 22 official languages and hundreds of dialects. English and Hindi may be the languages of officialdom and statecraft, but the foundations on which the country is built rest on its tributaries, spoken in an array of vernacular languages from Tamil and Bengali to Marathi, Telugu, Gujarati and others.

Vernacular inclusion is a strategic imperative for brands and tech companies in the times that we live in. Whether you are designing inclusive e-commerce platforms or developing digital government services, vernacular UX and design have become a crucial part of the success of products in the Indian market.

In this post, we delve into how designing for Indian languages helps you tap into new markets, connect more deeply with users, and increase accessibility. We’ll also cover ways in which students and professionals can acquire the skills required through product and design courses in India and industry specific online programs offered by Simplilearn.

The Multilingual Life of Indian Users

India has a growing internet penetration and over half of the digital users are non-English speaking. This is according to studies conducted by KPMG and Google.

90% of the new internet users in India are non-English speaking preferring to access content in their local language

Rural internet users are more comfortable with vernacular languages, 70% of users prefer vernacular language

Consumption of the vernacular videos is growing at 3x the rate of the English content.

Overlooking vernacular preferences equals ignoring a large chunk of the Indian audience — most in Tier 2 and Tier 3 cities, and in rural India.

Design Insight: Product designers need to account for language diversity from the outset — not as an afterthought.

It’s not uncommon for such a cultural context to be delved deep into through product and design courses in India particularly those that emphasis on inclusive design and human-centered UX.

Translation Is Just One of the Challenges of Vernacular Design

Very often companies get into the pitfall of literal translation. But designing for vernacular users entails so much more:

Localization: Portraying with the help of pictures idioms references etcetera referring to the peculiar region

Fonts: Not all Indian languages readable on small devices

Navigation direction

Tone and voice: Degree of formality, sense of humor, mounting emotion are different in each language and for each reader

Input method: Many of the users aren’t comfortable typing in their native scripts.

Design Insight: It’s not about localizing UI—it’s about rethinking UX for different language users.

Many of Simplilearn’s courses delivered online feature case studies and modules that demonstrate how the concept of localization affects the quality of a product.

Mobile-First and Voice-First Design in Vernacular India

More than 95% of the internet in India is on mobile. Add to this the rise of voice assistants and we are now witnessing a change in users behavior with digital products.

Google Assistant now available in 10+ Indian languages

WhatsApp voice notes and YouTube vernacular language content are dominating engagement

Natural language interfaces on smart speakers and IVRs for rural services

Design for Mobile and Voice in Local Languages As designers, when working in vernacular languages for mobile and voice, you need to know:

• Accent variation
• Speech-to-text nuances
• Screenless navigation

Design Insight: Voice UI and Multilingual Mobile UX are important skills for the new generation of designers.

Simplilearn and other top digital providers offer courses covering conversational UI and mobile UX—perfect for voice-first experiences in India.

Improving Accessibility and Inclusion in the Digital Age

India has millions of first-time internet users. A lot of these are:

Are illiterate or have poor digital literacy

Speak just a regional language

Utilize device sharing or economy devices

Vernacular design is the key to accessibility that enables such users:

Use government services (e.g., Aadhaar, UPI)

Access to health care and education apps

Take part in the Internet economy

Examples:

DigiLocker and BHIM introduced multilingual interfaces to increase reach

India’s alternative to Twitter has fueled its surge by providing instant news coverage on local cases of lynching riots, intimidation of news reporters, abuse of Muslims and political discord.

BYJU’S and Vedantu provide vernacular e-learning content for small town students

Product and design courses in India are teaching universal design, so that learners can create products that everyone can use.

BRAND: The Power of Communals Building Brand Value through Vernacular Communication

There are business cases, unquestionably, for vernacular design. It allows companies to:

• Tap into Tier 2–4 markets
• Boost your conversion with ease and familiarity
• Reduce churn by making your product easier to use
• Increase referrals by word of mouth within communities

Examples:

ShareChat was founded with Indian languages at its core, and now has over 180 M users

Flipkart introduces vernacular search and navigation to enhance regional connect

Amazon India focused on adding Hindi and regional content to expand its user base.

Design Insight: Ethical vernacular UX is not only good—it’s profitable.

Many of Simplilearn’s online courses incorporate market and data-centric design approaches to assess and optimize multilingual effectiveness.

The Typography and the Shape of Script

Each Indian script, therefore, has its own visual language, aesthetic space and space requirement. This affects:

• UI spacing and padding
• Line breaks and alignment
• Font-related rendering and performance

A perfectly good English interface can become unreadable in Malayalam or Punjabi when those who design it don’t take into account the way type itself behaves.

Examples:

Bharat Interface for Money (BHIM) in Hindi UI made button size and spacing adjusted

RedBus revamped its date-picker and search widgets for the Bengali and Tamil segment

Design Insight: Typographic finesse is paramount in multilingual product design.

Typography, UI grids, and responsive layouts are taught in product and design courses in India, specifically with UI/UX design specializations.

Developing Trust in Mediation- Cultural Sensitivity By Robert Benjamin Building Trust Through Cultural Sensitivity I agree that a profound paradox exists with regard to trust.

Design is not just about usability — it’s about emotional connection and trust. Local users tend to interact with brands that are:

Another is to honor their language and identity

Four Use culturally relevant imaging and terminology

Recognize local feasts, worries, and context

Examples:

Google Pay’s Diwali-esque interface featured greetings in multiple languages

Zomato’s regional Tamil Nadu and West Bengal campaign leveraged the power of vernacular humour and references

Agri apps in Hindi, Telugu, and Marathi provided support to farmers through weather, market prices, and tips

Design Insight – Culturally sensitive design breeds loyalty and word-of-mouth advocacy.

Simplilearn, an online training platform, added branding, communication and behavioral psychology to design thinking modules for students to connect with local users.

Skill-Acquisition: Design for Indian Vernacular (Learner’s Manual)

60-70% of the people who are our beliefs don’t speak English,” says Tim Zarki of RKP, “As a result, companies are crying out for people who can design beyond the ‘urban English user’.” If you are a designer, a product manager, a developer and you’re looking to leave your mark in India’s next billion user opportunity, prepare to hone your skills in:

Multilingual UX Design

Localisation and Internationalisation (i18n)

Mobile-First and Voice UX

Designing For and With Low-Literacy Users

Designing interfaces using typography and calling interfaces using script

Best Ways to Learn:

Product and design courses in India from schools like NID, IIT Bombay, and private design schools

Virtual programs by Simplilearn that also provide certifications in UI/UX, mobile design and human centered design

Specialized from platforms such as Coursera, edX, Google UX Design certificate (including localization modules)

The Vernacular Future of Product Design in India

But much as English is commonly spoken in India, vernacular design is no longer a nice-to-have, it’s a must-have. In other developments to look for in the coming years:

• AI and machine learning for real-time multi-language personalization
• NLP based chatbots in local languages
• Voice commerce and local search

Let\’s use the same process but with regional behavior data to micro-target product marketing

Product designers will help determine the direction in the future and companies will have to count on professionals that combine creativity, empathy, and cultural intelligence.

A career in this realm doesn’t just call for tools — it demands a mind-set. And that’s exactly what the best product and design courses in India and online programmes by Simplilearn seek to develop. Unlock cutting-edge skills and accelerate your career growth with expertly curated online programs by Simplilearn, designed to blend industry relevance with flexible, hands-on learning.

Conclusion: Design for every Indian, not just the Urban Strap-ons.

India’s next wave of digital growth will be driven by users in small towns, villages and regional communities. To successfully serve them, products need to communicate in their language, mirror their world, and respect their culture.

Whether you are a startup founder, a UX designer, a product strategist, or a student, considering languages that are more common in your culture when you design for products is not just inclusive — it’s good business.

By taking up focused product and design courses in India, and using practical, experience based online programs from Simplilearn, you can learn and create products and designs for the actual India- diverse, dynamic and at its core deeply multilingual.