Akshar in a few sentences.
A keyboard for 21 Indian languages. On-device AI, encrypted iCloud sync, no servers, no ads.
Why now
India has roughly 1.4 billion people, and most of them prefer to read in their own script - not in romanised English. iPhone has been a flagship device in India for over a decade, yet typing in Hindi, Tamil, Bangla, or any of the country's other written languages still feels like a second-class experience. The built-in keyboards are limited; the popular third-party options are dated, ad-supported, or share data. Akshar is a one-developer answer: a modern, on-device, ad-free Indic keyboard built specifically for iOS.
Quick facts
- NameAkshar: Indic Keyboard
- MakerKrishna Permi (independent)
- HeadquartersIndia
- PlatformiPhone, iPad (iOS 18 and later)
- PriceFree forever. No subscriptions, no in-app purchases, no premium tier.
- Languages21 Indic, plus English
- Latest version3.0
- App Storeapps.apple.com/app/id6759032352
- Websiteakshar.site
Boilerplate
Three lengths, ready to paste.
Akshar is a free iOS keyboard that lets you type in 21 Indian languages, with all transliteration running on the device and nothing sent to a server.
Akshar is a free iPhone and iPad keyboard for 21 Indian languages, including Hindi, Tamil, Bangla, Marathi, Telugu, and Urdu. Type the way a word sounds in English and the keyboard offers it in your chosen script. A built-in Convert tool transliterates whole paragraphs both ways - English to Indic, and Indic back to Romanised English. Notes can be shared as artwork posters. Everything runs on the device using Apple's Neural Engine; no keystrokes leave the iPhone. Made by one independent developer in India.
Akshar is an iOS keyboard built for India's many languages. It supports 21 Indic languages, from Hindi and Tamil to less commonly written ones like Bodo, Maithili, and Meitei. Users type words the way they sound in English and the keyboard suggests them in the chosen script, drawing from an open neural model from IIT Madras (AI4Bharat IndicXlit) packaged for Apple Core ML and run on the Neural Engine. A separate Convert tab lets users paste a whole paragraph in either direction - English to Indic, or Indic back to Romanised English - and a Notes view turns any saved text into a sharable artwork poster with the script's own colour palette. Everything happens on the device. No keystrokes are sent to a server, no analytics SDK is bundled, and the only cloud sync available is the user's own iCloud, which Apple encrypts in transit and at rest. Akshar is free, ad-free, and made by one developer, Krishna Permi, working in India.
What's distinctive
- Bidirectional Convert tool. The Akshar app has a dedicated Convert tab. Paste a paragraph in either direction - English to Indic, or Indic back to Romanised English - and tap once. The reverse direction (Indic to English) is uncommon among Indic-language apps on iOS. Runs on-device in under 30 ms.
- Share as Artwork. Any note can be exported as an image with the script's accent colour and a native font. A built-in poster generator, designed to drop straight into WhatsApp, Instagram Stories, or any chat.
- Fully on-device. Both the keyboard extension and the Convert tool use the same on-device transliteration model running on the Neural Engine. No analytics SDK, no telemetry, no third-party trackers. The only network call the app makes is to the user's own iCloud, if they enable sync. Text never leaves the phone, which matters when the text is a personal message in your mother tongue.
How it compares
Akshar exists because the alternatives don't quite fit how Indians actually type. The trade-offs:
- Apple's built-in keyboard. Supports 11 Indian languages, but only pairs two Indian languages with English at a time. Some languages - Kannada, Malayalam, Odia, Urdu - require a separate keyboard added entirely.
- Gboard. Indic transliteration is buried; language switching feels clunky. The keyboard is feature-heavy, and English autocorrect, Hinglish predictions, and Indic transliteration sometimes fight each other in the suggestion bar.
- Other third-party Indic keyboards. Most are dated visually, often capped at 10-13 languages, frequently include ads or paywalls for basic features, and several show data-collection or cross-app tracking on their App Store privacy labels.
- Akshar. 21 languages in a single keyboard, one tap to switch between them, modern iOS-native design, no ads, no paywall, no analytics, transliteration runs on the device.
Quotable
Pre-written quotes from the maker, free to lift directly. No need to email back for one.
"Most Indic keyboards on iOS feel like they were ported from Android in 2015. I wanted one that felt like it belonged on iOS in 2026."
"The model runs on the device because that's where it should run. A keyboard sees every word you type, in every app. That kind of reach can't go to a server."
"Twenty-one languages in one keyboard isn't because it's hard to add more. It's where the spoken-Indian-language curve flattens out. Beyond Bodo and Meitei you're into territory that needs a community-led project, not one developer."
Brand assets
Right-click and save, or tap to open. Please don't recolour, crop, or stretch the app icon.
Download press kit (ZIP, ~3 MB)
Sample shots, in script
Five screenshots that show the keyboard and tools rendering live in different Indic scripts. Visual proof of the multi-language claim.
FAQ for journalists
The questions that come up most often. Answers are quotable.
How is Akshar different from Gboard?
Akshar is iOS-only and built native for it. Indic transliteration is the default mode, not a hidden setting. The suggestion bar shows only the relevant scripts; English autocorrect doesn't fight with Hinglish predictions. The model runs on-device. There are no ads, no analytics, and no Google account.
Where does the model come from?
The transliteration model is IndicXlit from AI4Bharat (IIT Madras), packaged for Apple Core ML and run on the Neural Engine. It's an open neural model, bundled as-is. No proprietary wrapper, no fine-tuning tricks.
What data does Akshar collect?
None. Akshar's App Store privacy label shows zero data collection. There are no analytics SDKs, no telemetry, no third-party trackers. The only network call is to the user's own iCloud, if they enable sync. Keystrokes never leave the device.
Can I get a custom asset, screenshot, or interview?
Yes. Use the press contact form below. Typical response under 48 hours.
About the maker
Akshar is designed and built by Krishna Permi, an independent developer based in India. It started as a side project to help his child type Kannada homework after school. The keyboards on the App Store never quite felt designed for the way Indians actually type, so he wrote one. Akshar grew from there into a keyboard for 21 Indian languages.
Krishna writes about indie iOS, design, and the small details of building software at krishnapermi.net, and is on Mastodon as @krishna@mastodon.social.
Get in touch
For interviews, press inquiries, or extra assets, write to the maker directly.
Typical response time: under 48 hours, often the same day.