Infocomm Media Development Authority (IMDA)

The Infocomm Media Development Authority (IMDA) develops and regulates the infocomm and media sectors, laying the foundation for a digital ecosystem. In this regard, it plays a crucial role in developing and promoting technologies relating to the Tamil language and its usage, as well as developing and sustaining Tamil media in Singapore. 

When information and communication technologies (ICTs) began to be widely used in Singapore in the 1990s, IMDA and its predecessor organisations made concerted efforts to facilitate Tamil usage in digital platforms. In 2000, it established the Tamil Internet Steering Committee (TISC) to guide and promote the adoption of the Tamil internet. IMDA provided funding for TISC's various initiatives in content creation, business and technology development, and community outreach. Notably, IMDA offered a significant grant to develop Singapore's first Tamil Optical Character Recognition technology. Another key contribution was IMDA's partnership with the Singapore Indian Development Association (SINDA) to provide low-income households with computers. IMDA also co-organised IT festivals showcasing Tamil internet to encourage its usage. By the mid-2000s, nearly three-quarters of the Indian population had access to computers and the internet, exceeding the national average.

IMDA's strong support for Tamil internet initiatives influenced the International Forum for Information Technology in Tamil (INFITT) Executive Committee to establish its Secretariat in Singapore, with Singaporean Arun Mahizhnan as its first Executive Director. IMDA further supported this effort by seconding Narayanan Andiappan as the INFITT Secretariat's first dedicated Tamil internet employee. IMDA continued to support international Tamil internet conferences and other activities, organised by the INFITT Secretariat.

In alignment with national language policies, the Singapore government consistently includes Tamil in its language-related technologies. These include SingPass (the national identity app), Personal Data Protection policies covering Anti-Scam and Do Not Call registry measures, as well as numerous government digital services. Significantly, Tamil has been included in Singapore's latest initiative to develop Southeast Asia's first large language model ecosystem.

In the media sector, IMDA guides and funds the development of Tamil content by Mediacorp and private production houses. As the statutory board responsible for media development, IMDA both regulates and promotes the industry. It publishes Codes of Practice to ensure standard language usage, including Tamil. IMDA has also established various funding schemes, including the Public Service Media Digital Partnership Fund, Media Talent Progression Programme, and Media Enterprise Programme, to support local content creation and the production of broadcast programmes and feature films.



For more information
Infocomm Media Development Authority. Accessed on 1 August 2025. https://www.imda.gov.sg/ 

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The information in this article is valid as of February 2025 and correct as far as we are able to ascertain from our sources. It is not intended to be an exhaustive or complete history of the subject. If you have any feedback on this article, please submit here.