NEW DELHI: Hindi has to adapt to science and technology to enhance its spread, President Ram Nath Kovind Monday said, adding smartphones could be well used to propagate the language as they act to reduce distances.
The president said Hindi has a strong presence on the world map. Outside India, more than one crore people speak Hindi and it is being taught in universities of major countries, he said.
"To enhance its presence, Hindi has to adapt to science and technology - both in content and dissemination."
"We live in the age of technology. Smartphones are eroding distances between languages and technology could similarly be used in the propagation of Hindi," Kovind said felicitating Indian scholars who were acknowledged at the 11th world Hindi conference in Mauritius recently.
The 11th World Hindi Conference saw the participation of more than 2,000 representatives from 45 countries, he said.
During the event, the president also lauded the role played by Hindi cinema in popularising the language within the country and abroad.
Kovind hailed Mauritius for extending its help in the organising the world Hindi conference.
Talking about Fiji, he noted that the national language of the island nation is Hindi and 37 per cent of the population speaks the language.
"I will be soon leaving for Fiji to strengthen these ties," the president said.
Kovind said service to language is real service to the nation.
External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj in her remarks at the event said every state in India and 45 countries were represented at the conference.
Minister of State for External Affairs M J Akbar said the next world Hindi conference will be organised in Fiji.