New Delhi, June 1 -- A father trying to help his son complete Kannada homework may not sound like the beginning of a technology story. But for Bengaluru-based developer Krishna Permi, that everyday challenge eventually led to the creation of Akshar, a free keyboard app that supports 21 Indian languages and runs entirely offline.

The app, available on iPhones and iPads, allows users to type phonetically in English and convert text into Indian scripts. Unlike many transliteration tools, Akshar processes everything directly on the device rather than sending user inputs to external servers.

The idea emerged when Permi was helping his son practise Kannada, a language he had grown up reading and writing in northern Karnataka.

"I wanted to he...