Meet D.I.T.U: The Startup Translating Sign Language to Speech

In a country where over 63 million people live with significant hearing loss, communication is more than a challenge — it’s a barrier to dignity, independence, and opportunity. D.I.T.U Technologies, a deep-tech startup based in Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar, Maharashtra, is tackling this challenge with a wearable gesture recognition device that translates Indian Sign Language (ISL) into spoken language.

Behind this innovation is an IIT Hyderabad graduate who left behind a conventional job at an early-stage startup in Mumbai to pursue a purpose-driven path. The turning point came not in a lab, but at a petrol pump, where a brief yet painful interaction with a deaf employee laid bare the communication chasm. That moment crystallised a vision: to use technology not just for profit, but for impact.

Reimagining Accessibility Through Technology

D.I.T.U, short for "Dent In The Universe," reflects the founder’s belief in building meaningful, scalable change. The startup’s flagship product is a sensor-embedded glove that recognises ISL gestures and converts them into speech across multiple languages and voice profiles. 

Unlike camera-based solutions such as Google’s SignGemma, this glove works in any lighting condition, is fully portable, and ensures user privacy.

India’s shortage of certified ISL interpreters, just around 300 nationwide, compounds the communication crisis. D.I.T.U's device empowers individuals to interpret their own gestures, reducing reliance on others and opening doors to education, employment, and social integration.

Bootstrapped But Backed by Vision

Launched in 2022, D.I.T.U Technologies has navigated its journey as a solo-founder startup with support from two key incubation centres: iTIC at IIT Hyderabad and MAGIC in Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar. 

A critical milestone was securing the NIDHI PRAYAS grant, which funded early prototyping and embedded systems development. The startup also earned early validation by placing third at the district level at the Maharashtra Startup Yatra 2022.

From hardware design to app development, the founder chose the difficult but empowering route of self-learning over outsourcing, saving costs and accelerating timelines. This do-it-yourself ethos is core to D.I.T.U’s DNA.

Targeting Impact at Scale

D.I.T.U's go-to-market strategy focuses on NGOs and CSR programs that support accessibility and skill development. The business model includes a one-time cost for the glove, with free access to a core gesture library, and premium features accessible via a token-based system.

With over 1.5 billion people globally experiencing hearing loss — 430 million of whom require rehabilitation — the global potential is immense. D.I.T.U is starting with India but eyes on a broader, underserved market across developing nations.

Beyond Sign Language: The Future of Gesture Tech

While the primary mission remains empowering the deaf, D.I.T.U is already exploring adjacent applications of the same technology: silent communication in defence and disaster response, gesture-based interfaces in XR and gaming, and industrial human-computer interactions.

This dual-track approach, social impact and commercial viability sets D.I.T.U Technologies apart from many purpose-driven ventures. While its current application serves a powerful social need, D.I.T.U is also focused on unlocking the broader potential of its core technology across other sectors, ensuring the solution remains both sustainable and commercially viable.

Resilience at the Core

The founder’s journey has been marked by resilience, from battling small-city scepticism to overcoming costly vendor delays. Yet each challenge reinforced a core belief: that with intent and learning, technology can democratize opportunity.

For aspiring founders, the advice is clear: Start now. Purpose breeds perseverance, and the AI revolution has lowered the barriers to innovation. With curiosity, discipline, and a clear "why," anyone can build solutions that matter.