20 there, 20 more: Wikipedias in local language to bloom

As Wikipedia, the web-based free encyclopedia — over 20 times the size of Encyclopaedia Britannica — turns 10 on 15 January, Indian Wikimedians are gearing up to enhance Indic language Wikipedias. Right now, Wikipedia is the fourth most popular website in India with over 20 functional Indic Wikipedias and 20 more in incubation.

Wikimedians, in a friendly race to make Wikipedias of their respective language more useful, are planning events across 15 Indian cities including Mumbai, Bangalore, Chennai, Pune, Kolkata and Delhi. What adds fuel to the competition is that the Wikipedia Foundation has announced plans to open an India office and Wikimedians in different cities want the office to be in their city.

“The event will showcase the power of Wikipedia. We are trying to make this the biggest Wikimedia event ever in Bangalore with over 400 participants. There are a lot of things to be done,” said Tinu Cherian, an active Wikimedian from Bangalore. Wikimedians in Mumbai are also planning a similar event on 15 January. “We are likely to get a person from the parent foundation to come down and speak to us during the event. About 100 people should be in attendance,” said Moks Juneja, a Wikimedian from Mumbai.

The Wikipedia Foundation has, in fact, been active locally this year. In June, the foundation formed Wikimedia India, an approved chapter of the Wikimedia Foundation, to help coordinate various Indian language Wikipedias and other Wikimedia projects.

Recently, the foundation’s chief global Development officer, Barry Newstead , was in India talking to Wikimedians.

Earlier last month, Danese Cooper, chief technical officer of Wikimedia Foundation was in Bangalore to meet the volunteer community.

“We now have regular Wikimeetups in six cities including Bangalore, Mumbai, Hyderabad, Chennai, Kolkata and Pune. Indic wikipedias are growing rapidly,” Bishakha Dutta, member, board of trustees, Wikimedia Foundation, told ET.  In India, the foundation has announced plans to formalise the India Chapter. It is also likely that some serious development work for the Wikipedia Foundation may happen out of India in 2011.