In a move that reveals Microsoft’s interest in the Indian market, the well-known software maker is seeking to attract current as well as new users to its proprietary products with the currently-under-development local language input tools, similar to the Japanese tools it introduced a decade-and-a-half back.

In a recent statement, Microsoft said that the beta version of the Indian transliteration tools – initially to be available for six languages including Hindi, Bengali, Tamil, Telugu, Malayalam and Kannada – will become available for free download in nearly two months, with their commercial launch to follow next year.

Noting that lack of proficiency in English language has kept people away from computers, Srini Koppolu, Corporate VP and Managing Director of Microsoft India Development Centre (MSIDC), said that only 1.2 crore households in the country have PCs, while 45 crore people use mobile phones.

Elaborating about the transliteration tools, Koppolu said that with these tools “Users can enter Indian language words using English alphabets and the tools will translate them into right words in the chosen Indian language.”

To be available in both desktop and Web versions, the transliteration tools – which will enable users to send e-mails or chat in their mother tongue – will comprise virtual keyboards with the alphabets as well as the derivative words in the respective linguistic order of each of the six languages.