India Expands Tele MANAS to Strengthen Digital Mental Healthcare Access

To further ensure inclusivity, Tele MANAS now supports 10 regional languages, including Assamese, Bengali, Gujarati, Kannada, Malayalam, Marathi, Tamil, Telugu, Odia and Punjabi, in addition to English and Hindi.

The Government of India has expanded the scope and services of Tele MANAS by adding a multilingual app interface, video-based consultations, and support hubs across the country, strengthening India's digital mental-health infrastructure.

The National Tele-Mental Health Programme, launched on 10 October 2022, aimed to provide free, round-the-clock psychological assistance to citizens of the country.

Based on this infrastructure, the Tele MANAS mobile phone app, launched on World Mental Health Day in 2024, has now evolved into a more comprehensive application offering services that range from general well-being guidance to support for mental-health disorders.

In fact, a total of 53 Tele MANAS Cells were established across 36 States and Union Territories, creating a distributed network of mental-health support centres. The Tele MANAS helpline has received over 29.75 lakh calls since its launch in 2022 and is now an integral part of the country's digital mental health ecosystem under the National Tele Mental Health Programme.

To further ensure inclusivity, Tele MANAS now supports 10 regional languages, including Assamese, Bengali, Gujarati, Kannada, Malayalam, Marathi, Tamil, Telugu, Odia and Punjabi, in addition to English and Hindi.

A redesigned, user-friendly interface has also made the app more accessible to visually challenged users, while a toll-free helpline with no screen interaction will continue to ensure access without barriers.

In this regard, the Government has been able to introduce a video consultation facility that complements audio services already in operation.

This addition enables more personalized interactions, especially among patients requiring detailed assessment or follow-up care on a continuing basis.

In addition, to meet the mental-health requirements of defence personnel, a Tele MANAS Cell has also been operationalised at the Armed Forces Medical College in Pune. It would ensure timely psychological intervention for service members and their families, irrespective of their geographical deployment.

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