Public opinion study
India's Multilingual Pulse: How We Speak Now
Hercules' multilingual study concludes that urban Indians are moving from trilingualism to a working mix of English and one regional language, and that they type regional languages in Latin script (Hinglish-style) rather than on native keyboards. The findings are qualitative only: question-level data was unavailable, 49.7% of screened respondents were excluded, and the report recommends a relaunch.
Explore the findings600 of 1,208 screened respondents failed attention or quality checks
E.g. Hinglish, preferred over native-script keyboards
English plus one regional language replacing trilingualism
Based on 608 completed responses. Public opinion study.
What we set out to answer, and what we found
We set out to map how digital life is reshaping the languages India speaks and types
Which script do people actually type in?
When texting friends or family in a native regional language, do people use native keyboards or transliterated Latin script such as Hinglish?
Is trilingualism giving way to bilingualism?
We tested whether digital communication is pushing users from a traditional three-language model toward a practical English-plus-regional mix.
Does the mother tongue survive the shift?
We compared spoken fluency with written script literacy, and asked whether family members or friends are losing touch with their native language.
Heritage or economic utility?
We asked whether a sound command of English is essential for upward mobility, and whether schools should prioritise regional languages or link languages.
Traditional trilingualism is contracting in favour of functional bilingualism. Digital communication is pushing people towards a practical English-plus-regional mix, so brands should plan dual-language communication instead of complicated multi-language frameworks.
Transliterated Latin script dominates mobile communication. When texting in their regional language, users overwhelmingly type in Roman script (such as Hinglish) and not on native keyboards. Supporting transliterated input is the highest-ROI investment for digital engagement.
A widening literacy gap threatens native scripts. Spoken mother-tongue fluency persists across generations, but written, script-specific proficiency is declining, particularly among younger Tier 1 metro residents.
Economic mobility reinforces English. Sentiment strongly links a sound command of English to upward mobility. Premium brands should keep English as the transactional layer and use regional languages for emotional connection.
Regional content is consumed locally but navigated globally. Regional-language media remains popular, yet search and discovery run on transliterated Latin typing. Native keyboards have not closed that UI/UX gap.
Intergenerational attrition is under way. Respondents report younger relatives losing touch with their mother tongue in favour of English or Hindi, so youth-focused brands need hybrid, colloquial tones.
Critical UI/UX Gap
Regional content demand, Latin-script input
Severe Panel Quality Issues Limit What This Wave Can Support
How the sample was screened, and why the report treats this wave with caution.
Target Versus Completed Sample
Achieved versus target: -39.2%, flagged as a significant deviation
View the data behind this chart
| Answer | Value |
|---|---|
| Target sample | 1,000 |
| Completed responses | 608 |
01. The study completed 608 responses against a target of 1,000, a shortfall of -39.2% that the report flags with an instruction to interpret with caution.
02. 600 of 1,208 respondents (49.7%) were excluded after attention-check and data-quality screening, and the analysis is stated to rest on the remaining 608.
03. A separate panel audit in the report tells a different story: a 1.3% attention-check pass rate, all 600 initial respondents excluded and zero valid responses. The report blames bots or disengaged professional survey takers.
04. Every question-level section, from texting script to attitudes on English, is marked data unavailable, and the appendix questions carry a zero-response baseline (n=0).
A Balanced, Young Urban Cohort Across Six Cities
Gender Split
Stated 600-respondent cohort
View the data behind this chart
| Answer | Share |
|---|---|
| Female | 50% |
| Male | 50% |
01. The cohort section describes 600 respondents split evenly at 50% female (n=300) and 50% male (n=300). This base differs from the 608 stated in the methodology.
02. Respondents aged 18 to 35 make up 58% of the sample (n=350). This is the generation most likely to adopt transliterated scripting and digital media.
03. There were 100 respondents in each of Delhi, Mumbai, Pune, Bangalore, Kolkata and Kozhikode, covering both Indo-Aryan and Dravidian language families.
Transliterated Latin Script Is Replacing Native Keyboards
When texting friends or family in your native regional language on your smartphone, how do you typically type?
01. The report finds that transliterated Latin scripting (such as Hinglish) is replacing native scripts when people text in their regional language.
02. Regional-language media remains highly popular, yet users type in transliterated Roman script. The content is local, but the way people find it is global.
03. The mismatch suggests native regional keyboards are not as convenient as transliterated input, which leaves room for intuitive, predictive transliteration engines.
04. The question-level shares for typing method and media ranking were not published in this wave.
Functional Bilingualism Rises as Written Mother-Tongue Literacy Declines
Have you observed family members or friends losing touch with their native regional language, and how often is the mother tongue used with children at home?
01. The report finds a shift away from regional trilingualism towards functional bilingualism, pairing English with one regional language.
02. Spoken mother-tongue communication persists between generations, but written and script-specific literacy is declining, especially among younger Tier 1 metro residents.
03. Respondents report younger relatives losing touch with their mother tongue in favour of English or Hindi.
04. The spoken versus written comparison and attrition questions returned insufficient data for figures in this wave.
Economic Pragmatism Outpaces Heritage Preservation
Is a sound command of English essential for upward economic mobility, and should schools prioritise regional languages or link languages?
01. The report finds strong agreement that a sound command of English is essential for upward economic mobility in India today, which explains why younger cohorts adopt functional bilingualism.
02. Views on schooling are divided. People value heritage, but economic survival dictates everyday language use.
03. The agreement scale and curriculum-preference results were not published in this wave.
What we would recommend
Practical priorities drawn from this study for further validation.
Optimise for transliteration.
Build search around Hinglish and other transliterated input instead of forcing native-script keyboards, so search and discovery stay frictionless.
Bridge the keyboard gap in content platforms.
To capture regional media demand, optimise metadata and search indexing for transliterated Latin terms.
Adopt a hybrid content strategy for young metro audiences.
Pair localised spoken audio with transliterated or English text overlays. This audience is fluent in speech but weaker in written script.
Relaunch the survey before acting on figures.
The report recommends rejecting the current panel deliverable, invoking quality-on-delivery clauses, and relaunching on a premium, double-opt-in panel with device fingerprinting and digital signature verification.
