Indian Institute of Technology Madras (IIT Madras) has launched the ‘Language and Cognition Laboratory’ (LC-Lab) to study India’s linguistic diversity through an interdisciplinary and technology-driven approach.

Established at the Department of Humanities and Social Sciences, this is the first lab in India that systematically engages with the country’s vast linguistic diversity through experimental linguistics.

The Language and Cognition Laboratory was inaugurated on November 10, 2025 by Prof V Kamakoti, Director, IIT Madras, in the presence of the Head of the HSS Department Prof Rajesh Kumar and Faculty Coordinator, Dr Anindita Sahoo, Faculty, Department of Humanities and Social Sciences, IIT Madras and other stakeholders. The lab will explore how humans perceive, process, and produce language using advanced experimental methods.

In the long term, it aims to contribute to the development of human-centred and linguistically aware AI systems, ensuring that India’s languages and cultures are represented in emerging technologies. This lab will work closely with the Centre for Responsible AI (CeRAI), IIT Madras to explore the applications of AI methods to language and cognition research.

Research focus and methods

The Language and Cognition Laboratory (LC-Lab) will investigate how people process linguistic information by employing techniques such as eye-tracking and reaction-time studies. Its research focuses primarily on Indian languages, offering crucial insights into how grammar, voice, and sentence structure are understood and produced in multilingual contexts.

While ongoing projects study grammatical voice and copula constructions, upcoming work will examine dyslexia in Indian children, with the goal of improving educational outcomes and developing linguistically relevant teaching interventions.

Framework and future plans

The LC-Lab’s interdisciplinary framework integrates insights from science, technology, and the humanities to advance both academic research and technological innovation.

In the short term, the LC-Lab will conduct experimental research using eye-tracking technology to validate established linguistic theories in Indian languages. In the long term, it plans to integrate advanced neurocognitive techniques such as Electroencephalography (EEG) and Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation (TMS).

These tools will support comprehensive research in language, cognition, and computational modelling, while fostering collaboration with experts in psychology, neuroscience, and artificial intelligence.

The lab is currently supported by IITM Pravartak Technologies Foundation and Aspire Infolab, Hyderabad, which have contributed to its establishment and research infrastructure.