‘SARAL AI’ to Help Researchers and Institutions Take Their Work Beyond Papers

New Delhi – When you think of scientific papers, you probably picture dense text, tables and a lot of jargon. Imagine instead a crisp two‑minute video that unpacks the same findings in plain language. That’s the vision behind SARAL AI, a fresh initiative from the Anusandhan National Research Foundation (ANRF).

During a recent visit, ANRF’s CEO Dr. Shivkumar Kalyanaraman showed off the platform to staff at the CSIR‑National Institute of Science Communication and Policy Research (CSIR‑NIScPR). The AI engine scans a newly published article, extracts the core ideas and automatically creates a short, animated video – complete with subtitles, voice‑over and visual cues.

“Research shouldn’t stop at the journal page,” Kalyanaraman remarked. “Tools like SARAL AI let us carry the story out of the lab and into the living rooms of students, teachers and anyone curious about science.”

Minister of State for Science and Technology (Independent Charge), Dr. Jitendra Singh, has been urging institutions to experiment with emerging tech for outreach. CSIR‑NIScPR, led by Director Dr. Geetha Vani Rayasam, seized the opportunity, organising a hands‑on workshop that attracted over 90 participants – journal editors, researchers and communication specialists alike.

Attendees got a glimpse of the workflow: upload the PDF, let the AI draft a storyboard, then fine‑tune the narration. The result is a share‑ready video that can be posted on YouTube, social media or embedded in university portals.

Beyond just making science “cool”, the hope is that such videos will broaden the impact of Indian research, especially for those who don’t have ready access to academic journals. By translating dense findings into bite‑size visual stories, SARAL AI aims to bridge the gap between scholars and the society they serve.

While the platform is still being refined, early feedback is positive. Researchers say the AI saves time, and educators note the videos spark genuine curiosity among students. If the momentum continues, SARAL AI could become a staple in the Indian research ecosystem – turning papers into narratives that anyone can understand.