Adapting content for a specific language, region or culture: language, examples, references, prices, dates and visuals. In India, vernacular content means content in Indian languages such as Marathi, Hindi or Tamil.
Example
Meera makes Marathi versions of her festive Reels for Gudi Padwa, with local references and a Marathi voice-over, alongside the English ones. Prices and timings stay the same; the language and examples change.
How you'll hear it
“Before we translate, check what needs localising: the festival, the examples, even the colours.”
Don't confuse it with
- Translation: translation changes the words; localisation adapts the whole piece to fit the audience.
- Transcreation: goes further, rewriting the message from the brief.
In India: A 2017 KPMG and Google study estimated Indian-language internet users at 234 million in 2016, ahead of 175 million English users, and projected 536 million by 2021.
Related terms
Sources
- Indian Languages: Defining India's Internet, KPMG in India and Google, 2017
- What is transcreation? The art of marketing across cultures, Phrase, 2026