The Maharashtra government has partnered with IIT Bombay to develop an artificial intelligence (AI) tool aimed at identifying suspected illegal Bangladeshi and Rohingya migrants living in the state.

The project is still under development and has sparked political discussion, public debate, and concerns over accuracy and individual rights.

According to officials, the proposed system will analyse how a person speaks. This includes studying accent, tone, and language patterns. Based on this analysis, the AI may flag people who could be living in India without valid documents.

Officials have said the tool will only assist authorities and will not be treated as final proof of nationality.

The initiative drew public attention after Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis spoke about it while releasing the Mahayuti alliance’s BMC election manifesto.

During the event, the chief minister repeated the government’s promise to “free Mumbai” of undocumented migrants, adding that technology would help in identifying them.

Sources said the AI model has been under testing for some time but is still not fully ready. Early test results reportedly show an accuracy rate of around 60 percent, which experts say leaves room for serious mistakes.

The government believes the system will become more accurate as more data is added and the model is improved over time.

Civil rights activists and technology experts have raised concerns about using language and speech as a way to identify people.

They point out that many Indian citizens, especially from West Bengal, Assam, and border areas, speak in ways that sound similar to Bangladeshi dialects. This could lead to Indian citizens being wrongly flagged, they warn.

There are also concerns about privacy. Questions have been raised about:

  • How voice samples will be collected

  • Whether people will know they are being analysed

  • What rules will prevent misuse of personal data

So far, the government has not shared detailed information on these safeguards.

Alongside the AI project, the Maharashtra government has also indicated plans to set up detention centres for undocumented migrants before deportation.

However, details such as the location, size, and legal oversight of these centres have not yet been made public.