Startup Dunia

Lipik is a new, awesome online document authoring tool for Hindi users. It is a complete end to end online authoring system in the sense that you can create an account, author a document (in Hindi or English), save the document to your account, download the document and resume editing previously saved documents.

The editor has an integrated predictive input system, which anticipates the next user input making it easier and faster to author the document in Hindi. A user can input using either the keyboard or the mouse (& online keyboard map). Another great feature of the tool is that it highlights the keyboard keys, it thinks you are most likely to use next.

Quillpad is one of the most prominent services that comes to mind when you talk about authoring documents in regional languages. Lipik differentiates itself from Quillpad in three main respects:

1) The Lipik website itself can be viewed in Hindi. So, for a Hindi user, the entire process of accessing the website, using the service etc. becomes a very simple task

2) Lipik lets you create accounts, save and edit documents online to your account

3) Quillpad attempts a transliteration of Hindi words authored in English to the Hindi dialect. Lipik on the other hand can enable users to author documents directly in Hindi

At first glance, typing in Hindi seems a bit daunting and I’ll admit - it is indeed a bit challenging. However, the keyboard is actually laid out in a logical pattern with vowels on the left and consonants to the right. After a few initial struggling minutes, I was able to get a hold of things and appreciate the beauty of the app.

The site has been tested in FireFox and IE and may have a few hiccups considering that it has just launched. Other regional languages, starting with Marathi, are in the works.

I think this is a brilliant new service and will play a major role towards increasing Internet adoption in India. After all, even Google realizes how regional languages are key to adoption of Internet in India. I wish the Lipik team best luck with their endeavors.

For a change (from social networking and such), its great to see such a refreshing and innovative app.