Announcing GA of new Indian voices

Microsoft

Sep 18, 2024

By Tejaswi Seeram, Rishon Dsouza, Shubham Bansal, Shubhendu Satsangi, Naman Joshi, Vikas Joshi, Biju Venugopal, Suhrid Palsule, Rupeshkumar Mehta, Anand Raman

For modern businesses, high quality conversational and expressive voices are a must. These voices enable them to power high-value scenarios like call centers, IVRs, voice assistants and chatbots. For several years now, Azure has offered a bouquet of TTS voices in India for multiple languages and genders, which cater to these business scenarios. We are now pleased to announce a major upgrade in our catalogue of TTS voices for the Indian locale. We have 3 pieces of updates:

We are announcing the release of 11 new voices for English (India) and Hindi languages in female and male categories.
We are also upgrading our existing English (Indian) and Hindi voices to be more expressive and natural.
Apart from this, we are expanding our portfolio of languages to include Assamese, Punjabi and Oriya languages for both female and male categories. With this, Azure now supports 13 Indian languages, which serve more than 90% of the Indian market.

These new voices are generally available for all Azure regions.

New English (India) and Hindi voices

Looking at the new scenarios and a need for a more diverse set of voices, we are expanding our selection of voices in these 2 languages in both female and male categories. We are adding 6 new voices for English (India) and 5 new voices for Hindi (India), with unique properties and voice characteristics. You now have more options to choose from while building your voice application.

English (India) locale

We have 6 new voices for the en-IN locale: 3 female voices, and 3 male voices.

Voice Name	Gender	Script	Sample
en-IN-AashiNeural	Female	Kittu, the giraffe, had the world's longest neck but the gentlest spirit. She reached for leaves at the highest treetops, sharing them with friends below. Her kind heart made her the jungle's beloved guardian, watching over all creatures. Kittu proved that true greatness came not from height, but from the heart.
en-IN-AnanyaNeural	Female	Oh dear, it seems there's been a delay in your package delivery. Let me check that for you right away. Can you share your order number and contact details, so I can investigate this matter further? Don't worry; we'll get this sorted out for you immediately!
en-IN-KavyaNeural	Female	AI is a game-changer! It's already transforming industries like healthcare, finance, and transportation, and it's only going to get better. With its ability to analyze vast amounts of data and make predictions, AI has the potential to solve some of the world's biggest problems. Let's be a part of this exciting journey!
en-IN-AaravNeural	Male	I'm so thrilled about our trip to Goa next month! The beaches, the food, and the vibrant culture are going to be amazing. I can't wait to explore all the hidden gems. Let's make sure to pack our best beachwear and sunscreen. It's going to be epic!
en-IN-KunalNeural	Male	I was reflecting on our conversation about sustainable living. It's inspiring how small changes in our daily habits can make a big difference. I'm planning to start with reducing plastic use and conserving water. Let's motivate each other on this journey.
en-IN-RehaanNeural	Male	Hello ma'am, I'm really sorry about the long holding period. All our senior technicians are currently busy. Can I call you back after some time? Please provide a convenient time, and I'll ensure a technician contacts you. Thank you for your patience and understanding.

Hindi (India) locale

We have 5 new voices for the hi-IN locale: 2 female voices, and 3 male voices.

Voice Name	Gender	Script	Sample
hi-IN-AnanyaNeural	Female	मैं निश्चित रूप से इसमें मदद कर सकती हूँ! बस ऐप खोलें और 'सेटिंग्स' पर प्रेस करें, फिर 'पर्सनल डिटेल्स' पर जाएं। वहां आपको 'अपडेट एड्रेस' का विकल्प मिलेगा। बस अपनी नई जानकारी दर्ज करें और 'सेव' बटन पर क्लिक करें। जब यह पूरा हो जाए या आपको मेरी सहायता की आवश्यकता हो तो मुझे बताएं।
hi-IN-KavyaNeural	Female	लोकतंत्र वह प्रणाली है जिसमें जनता खुद निर्णय लेती है। इसमें कानून का राज, हर व्यक्ति के अधिकारों का सम्मान और स्वतंत्र और निष्पक्ष चुनाव होते हैं। लोकतंत्र में जनता के प्रतिनिधि काम करते हैं और जनता के प्रति जवाबदेह होते हैं और नागरिकों के हितों की रक्षा करते हैं।
hi-IN-AaravNeural	Male	मैं शहर में खुलने वाले नए रेस्टोरेंट को लेकर सच में उत्साहित हूं। वे ऑथेन्टिक साउथ इन्डियन व्यंजन परोसते हैं, और सब रिव्यूज़ भी शानदार हैं। चलिए इस रविवार वहां डिनर की योजना बनाएं और स्वादिष्ट डोसा और फिल्टर कॉफी का आनंद लें। वाह! काफी मज़ेदार दिन रहेगा!
hi-IN-KunalNeural	Male	सकारात्मक बातों को दोहराएँ. खुद से कहें कि, "मैं मजबूत हूं। मैं शांत हूं। मैं सक्षम हूं।" महसूस करें कि ये सत्य आपके भीतर गूंज रहे हैं, आपकी आत्मा को पूरी तरह से सशक्त बना रहे हैं। विश्वास को गहराई से अंदर लें, संदेह को धीरे से बाहर निकालें, और इन बातों को हर दिन दोहरा कर, अपने आंतरिक संकल्प और आत्मविश्वास को मजबूत होने दें।
hi-IN-RehaanNeural	Male	सर, हमने आपके बिजली बिल भुगतान की पुष्टि कर दी है। 21 जून, 2024 को 1500 रुपए का भुगतान प्राप्त हुआ। यदि आपके कोई प्रश्न हैं, तो कृपया बेझिझक हमें हमारे कस्टमर केयर पर संपर्क करें। धन्यवाद! आपकी सुविधा के लिए हम हमेशा मौजूद हैं।

All these new voices are generally available in all regions and can be tried out on the Speech Studio.

Upgrade to existing voices

We are improving our existing en-IN-NeerjaNeural and hi-IN-SwaraNeural with the addition of ‘Styles’. You can now make the voices sound ‘Empathetic’, ‘Newscast’ and ‘Cheerful’ based on the required emotional tone. These changes bring a more dynamic nature to the existing Default voices. Here are a few samples:

Locale	Locale Name	Voice Name	Style	Script	Sample
en-IN	English (India)	en-IN-NeerjaNeural	Default	Street photography is the art of capturing the unguarded, spontaneous moments that unfold on the streets. It's about capturing the raw emotions and unfiltered beauty of everyday life and preserving those fleeting moments forever.
en-IN	English (India)	en-IN-NeerjaNeural	Newscast	Now, let's take a look at the financial landscape. Today, markets experienced notable fluctuations. Analysts such as Shankar Sharma and Nirmal Jain are closely monitoring the situation for insights into potential economic trends and their implications for various sectors.
en-IN	English (India)	en-IN-NeerjaNeural	Cheerful	Oh that's so wonderful to hear! I am so glad that you have registered for the half marathon! You are a true inspiration, Meghna! You'll be a star during the run, and I do expect to see several more registrations, now that people know that you're also running!
en-IN	English (India)	en-IN-NeerjaNeural	Empathetic	Close your eyes and take a deep breath in. Visualize the beautiful backwaters of Kerala. Let the calmness wash over you, releasing all anxiety. Feel the peace within and just be present in this moment, connected to the environment around you. Embrace the stillness and let go of everything else.
hi-IN	Hindi (India)	hi-IN-SwaraNeural	Default	हाई, मैं ऐश्वर्या हूँ, आपकी डिजिटल साथी। मैं आपके असाइनमेंट में आपकी मदद करने के लिए हूं। ऐसा लगता है कि आप उत्तराखंड में अक्सर होने वाली प्राकृतिक आपदाओं के बारे में कुछ जानकारी ढूंढ रहे हैं। क्या ये सही है?
hi-IN	Hindi (India)	hi-IN-SwaraNeural	Newscast	जलवायु परिवर्तन एक वैश्विक संकट है जिसके लिए तत्काल कुछ उपाय करने की आवश्यकता है। हमारा ग्रह अभूतपूर्व चुनौतियों का सामना कर रहा है। आइए एकजुट होकर कुछ उपायों को लागू करने की दिशा में आगे बढ़ें, जो हमारी पृथ्वी की रक्षा करें।
hi-IN	Hindi (India)	hi-IN-SwaraNeural	Cheerful	आज मैं आपको दक्षिण भारत का मशहूर सांभर बनाना सिखाने वाली हूँ। सबसे पहले टमाटर, इमली और मसाले अच्छे से उबाल लें। फिर उसमें तड़का लगाएं। उसकी खुशबू से दिल खुश हो जाएगा। गरमागरम सांभर चावल के साथ परोसें। वाह, मज़ा आ जाएगा!
hi-IN	Hindi (India)	hi-IN-SwaraNeural	Empathetic	कल्पना कीजिए कि आप एक शांत मरीना समुद्र तट के किनारे पर खड़े हैं, लहरें रेतीले तट को भीगा रही हैं। जैसे ही आप सांस लेते हैं, समुद्र की हवा की ताजगी महसूस करते हैं, और जैसे ही आप सांस छोड़ते हैं, मुक्ति और तनाव या चिंता से छुटकारा पाने की भावना महसूस करते हैं।

The addition of ‘Styles’ has made the already popular Neerja and Swara voices even more dynamic and useful for diverse scenarios. Customers can employ simple SSML tags, along with a control on Style Degree to generate suitable TTS. These are generally available in all regions now and can be tried on the Speech Studio.

New language support

We are also excited to announce an enhanced support for 3 new locales in the India region for both male and female voices. With the addition of Assamese, Punjabi and Oriya, the number of languages supported for the Indian market in Azure Speech now goes up to 13. Here are a few samples:

Locale	Locale Name	Voice Name	Gender	Script	Sample
as-IN	Assamese (India)	as-IN-YashicaNeural	Female	সুখী হোৱাৰ মজিয়াত, সকলোৰে মনত আনন্দৰ হাঁহি ফুটে। বাহ, এই কথাটো শুনি মনত একেবাৰে আনন্দৰ ঢৌ বৈ আহিল! ক্ষুদ্ৰ মুহূর্তবোৰ উপভোগ কৰাটোৱেই সুখৰ মূল কথা। গধূলি সাত বজাত ঘৰৰ চোতালত বহি একাপ অসমৰ চাহ আৰু পৰিয়াল, বন্ধুসকলৰ সৈতে সময় কটাবলৈ, আৰু নিজকে ভাল পাবলৈ প্ৰয়াস কৰাটো সুখী জীৱনৰ মূলমন্ত্র।
as-IN	Assamese (India)	as-IN-PriyomNeural	Male	অ' মই আজিকালি দুই হাজাৰ চব্বিশত বহুত উত্তেজিত! কিয়নো এই সময়বোৰত আমি একেবাৰেই সুকলমে আগবাঢ়িছো। নতুন বন্ধু-বান্ধৱীৰ সৈতে সময় কটাই সুখী হৈছো, আৰু আনকি নতুন অভিজ্ঞতাবোৰো লাভ কৰিছো। সকলোবোৰ মিলি মোৰ মন একেবাৰেই প্ৰফুল্ল কৰি তুলিছে। অসমীয়া সংস্কৃতিৰ এক অপূৰ্ব অভিজ্ঞতা হ’ব য’ত বিহু নৃত্য, ঢোল-তাল, পিঠা-পনা, আৰু গামোচা চাবলৈ পাম।
or-IN	Oriya (India)	or-IN-SubhasiniNeural	Female	ଆଜି ଆମେ ଏକ ବିଶେଷ ଦିନ ପାଇଁ ପ୍ରସ୍ତୁତ ହେଉଛୁ \| ମୋ ଭାଇ ରଘୁକୁ ପଚାଶ ହଜାର ଟଙ୍କାରେ ଏକ ନୂଆ ଗାଡ଼ି ମିଳିଛି \| ମୁଁ ଚାହେଁ ତୁମ ସହିତ ଆସନ୍ତାକାଲି ସକାଳ ଦଶଟା ବେଳେ ସେହି ଗାଡ଼ି ଚଲାଇବା ପାଇଁ \| ତୁମେ ମୋ ସହିତ ଯୋଗାଯୋଗ କରି ଆସିବାକୁ ଚେଷ୍ଟା କର \| ଦିନ ଟା ଆମ ସହିତ ବହୁତ ମଜା ଆସିବ \|
or-IN	Oriya (India)	or-IN-SukantNeural	Male	ବର୍ତ୍ତମାନ, ଆମେ ଜଳରଙ୍ଗର ଏକ ସମତୁଲ୍ୟ ମିଶ୍ରଣ କରି ଅଭ୍ୟାସ କରିବାକୁ ଯାଉଛୁ \| ଏହା ଆପଣଙ୍କୁ ରଙ୍ଗର ତୀବ୍ରତା ଏବଂ ଗାଢ଼ତାକୁ ନିୟନ୍ତ୍ରଣ କରିବାରେ ସାହାଯ୍ୟ କରିବ \| ଏକ ଆଲୋଡ଼ା ରେ ଅଧା କପ୍ ପାଣି ମିଶାନ୍ତୁ ଏବଂ ଏହାକୁ ଆପଣଙ୍କର ପ୍ରଥମ ଆକୃତି ରେ ହାଲୁକା ଭାବରେ ପ୍ରୟୋଗ କରନ୍ତୁ \| ଯଦି ଆପଣମାନେ ଭୁଲ୍ କରିଛନ୍ତି, ଭୟଭୀତ ହୁଅନ୍ତୁ ନାହିଁ \|
pa-IN	Punjabi (India)	pa-IN-VaaniNeural	Female	ਹਾਏ! ਕੰਮ ਦੇ ਲੰਬੇ ਤਣਾਅ ਤੋਂ ਬਾਅਦ ਜਦੋਂ ਤੁਸੀਂ ਪਹਾੜਾਂ ਤੇ ਜਾਣ ਦੀ ਯੋਜਨਾ ਬਣਾਉਂਦੇ ਹੋ ਜਾਂ ਪੰਜਾਬ ਦੇ 12 ਮੇਲਿਆਂ ਤੇ ਜਾਣ ਬਾਰੇ ਚਰਚਾ ਕਰਦੇ ਹੋ ਤੇ ਜੇ ਕੋਈ ਕੇਹ ਦੇ ਕਿ "ਚਲੋ ਚੱਲੀਏ" ਤਾਂ ਆਪਣੇ ਆਪ ਮੂੰਹੋਂ ਨਿਕਲਦਾ ਹੈ, ਵਾਹ! ਸਵਾਦ ਆ ਗਿਆ।
pa-IN	Punjabi (India)	pa-IN-OjasNeural	Male	ਕੀ ਤੁਸੀ ਜਾਣਦੇ ਹੋ? ਪੰਜਾਬ ਦੇ ਰਵਾਇਤੀ ਨਾਚ ਦੇ ਰੂਪਾਂ ਨੂੰ ਅੰਤਰਰਾਸ਼ਟਰੀ ਮਾਨਤਾ ਮਿਲ ਰਹੀ ਹੈ। ਸਾਨੂੰ ਆਪਣੇ ਅਮੀਰ ਸੱਭਿਆਚਾਰਕ ਵਿਰਸੇ ਤੇ ਮਾਣ ਹੈ। ਇਹ ਜੋਸ਼ੀਲੇ ਅਤੇ ਊਰਜਾ ਵਾਲੇ ਨਾਚ ਦਰਸ਼ਕਾਂ ਨੂੰ ਆਕਰਸ਼ਿਤ ਕਰ ਰਹੇ ਹਨ। ਅੰਤਰਰਾਸ਼ਟਰੀ ਸਟੇਜ 'ਤੇ ਪ੍ਰਸ਼ੰਸਾ ਹੁੰਦੀ ਦੇਖਣਾ ਬਹੁਤ ਵਧੀਆ ਹੈ। ਨੱਚਦੇ ਰਹੋ, ਪੰਜਾਬ!

Tech note

We used several innovative techniques to create this set of voices.

Styles in Neerja and Swara: In addition to the existing Default style, we have incorporated style inputs and training data to generate speech in 3 more styles: Cheerful, Newscast and Empathetic, which can be used based on the business requirement.
New bilingual en-IN and hi-IN voices: We utilized advanced bilingual lexicon and acoustic modelling techniques to enable seamless transitions between English and Hindi words to build new voices each with a unique persona.
New Indian locales: We utilized high quality data for each of these locales to build TTS voices, leveraging the latest technological advancements in modelling, such as DelightfulTTS2 and MuLanTTS.

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Microsoft offers over 400 neural voices covering more than 140 languages and locales. With these Text-to-Speech voices, you can quickly add read-aloud functionality for a more accessible app design or give a voice to chatbots to provide a richer conversational experience to your users. In addition, with the Custom Neural Voice capability, you can easily create a brand voice for your business with professional voice clone.