Tani Lipi is a scientific, indigenous alphabetic writing system invented on 2nd June 2000 by Dr. Tony Koyu — created to preserve, promote, and digitalize the Tani Language spoken by over 13 lakh people across Arunachal Pradesh and Assam.
Tani Lipi is a scientific and indigenous writing system — an alphabetic script specially invented to write the Tani Language, the mother tongue of the largest group of tribes in Arunachal Pradesh. Before Tani Lipi, this language had no written form of its own, surviving solely through oral tradition passed down across generations.
The script was invented on 2nd June 2000 by renowned Indigenous Social Scientist Dr. Tony Koyu, who dedicated years of research and passion into creating a writing system that accurately captures the phonetic characteristics of Tani languages. It is written left to right — like English — making it easy to learn.
Tani Lipi has 8 vowels and 18 consonants (26 letters in total), designed with scientific precision. It has no genetic relationship with any other existing script, though some letterforms carry subtle echoes of Bengali and Latin alphabets, helping beginners adapt quickly.
8 vowels + 18 consonants = 26 letters. Scientific and consistent.
Same direction as English — intuitive for modern learners.
Each symbol accurately represents the unique sounds of Tani languages.
Available as a keyboard app and digital font for modern devices.
Tani Lipi — The Alphabet
Tani Lipi is not just a script — it is a movement. A movement to save a language, unite a people, and preserve a culture that is over thousands of years old.
Our mission is to rescue the Tani Language from fading into oblivion by providing it with a standardized, scientific writing system — Tani Lipi. We work to make Tani Lipi accessible to every speaker, learner, and supporter through books, apps, and educational resources.
We envision a future where the Tani Language is officially recognized in the 8th Schedule of the Indian Constitution — where it is taught in schools, celebrated in literature, and used proudly in digital spaces. A future where no Tani child grows up without knowing their mother script.
Protecting the linguistic heritage of the Tani-speaking people for future generations.
One script for all Tani tribes — bringing communities together under shared identity.
Making Tani Lipi accessible and learnable for people of all ages and backgrounds.
Combining ancient cultural heritage with modern digital tools and technologies.
Fighting for constitutional and governmental recognition of Tani Language rights.
For centuries, the Tani Language was passed down only through word of mouth. With no written form, it was dying. Tani Lipi changed everything.
With no script of its own, the Tani Language existed only in oral form. As younger generations moved to cities and adopted Hindi or English, the mother tongue was being lost rapidly. Tani Lipi stops this extinction.
Languages recognized in the 8th Schedule of the Indian Constitution receive official status, government funding, and educational support. Tani Lipi is the essential first step toward this recognition for Tani people.
Adi, Nyishi, Galo, Tagin, Apatani, Mishing — all are descendants of Abo Tani. With different dialects but shared roots, Tani Lipi gives them one common script that unites them while celebrating their diversity.
Official language recognition creates government departments, university chairs, translator roles, and new professions. Tani Lipi opens economic pathways for thousands of Tani-speaking youth.
Children who learn in their mother tongue perform better academically. Tani Lipi makes it possible to create textbooks, stories, poems, and educational content in Tani Language for the first time.
Without a digital script, a language cannot exist in the modern world. Tani Lipi's typing app, fonts, and keyboard tools ensure that Tani speakers can communicate, create, and connect digitally in their own language.
Whether you are a Tani-speaking grandmother in a village, a college student in Itanagar, or a researcher studying indigenous languages — Tani Lipi has something powerful to offer you.
All Tani-speaking tribes share one ancestor — Abo Tani. Tani Lipi is the common script that brings them all together under one written identity.
Parents who want their children to read and write in their mother tongue. Elders who wish to see their language preserved in written form for the very first time.
School and college students across Arunachal Pradesh and Assam who want to connect with their indigenous roots while growing in the modern world.
Creative voices who want to express themselves, tell stories, write poetry, and report news in the Tani Language — in their own script.
Organizations working on indigenous rights, language policy, tribal welfare, and cultural preservation in North East India.
Academic scholars studying Tibeto-Burman languages, indigenous scripts, and the oral-to-written language transition in tribal societies.
The Tani Language belongs to the Tibeto-Burman language group and is spoken across Arunachal Pradesh and Assam in the North Eastern Region of India — a land of extraordinary cultural richness and biodiversity.
Language Family — Tani Language belongs to this ancient and widespread group of languages spoken across the Himalayan region.
Arunachal Pradesh & Assam — The two Indian states where Tani-speaking communities primarily live, work, and carry their culture forward.
For centuries, Tani Language survived only through storytelling and spoken word — until Tani Lipi gave it a permanent written home in 2000.
From a single visionary idea in 2000 to a full digital keyboard app used by thousands — here is the remarkable journey of Tani Lipi.
Dr. Tony Koyu officially unveils Tani Lipi — a scientific and indigenous alphabetic script designed for the phonetic needs of all Tani-speaking tribes of Arunachal Pradesh and Assam. A historic moment for the Tani nation.
🎉 Founding MomentThe then Education Minister Dera Natung officially approves Tani Lipi as the common script to be adopted by all state tribes of Arunachal Pradesh — the first major governmental recognition of the script.
🏛️ Official RecognitionTani Lipi is formally presented at a seminar at the North Eastern Institute of Science and Technology (NERIST), Naharlagun, Arunachal Pradesh — gaining academic credibility and wider scholarly attention for the first time.
🎓 Academic RecognitionTani Lipi begins appearing in the Echo of Arunachal Pradesh newspaper — the first time the script reaches the general public through mainstream media, making it visible to thousands of readers.
📰 Media MilestoneDr. Tony Koyu publishes novels and other books in both Galo and Adi languages using Tani Lipi, as well as a novel in Hindi. The Chief Minister of Arunachal Pradesh, Shri Pema Khandu Ji, personally appreciated his work. Thousands begin learning the script through his books.
📚 Literary MilestoneYouth organizations including APATCYO, NYWA, GYO, and others jointly urge the Chief Minister of Arunachal Pradesh to officially adopt Tani Lipi as the shared cultural script of all Tani-speaking tribes — a powerful show of community solidarity.
🤝 Community MovementThe Tony Koyu Foundation, a company registered under Section 8 of the Companies Act, is formally established — dedicated to digitalizing, promoting, and standardizing Tani Language and Tani Lipi across Arunachal Pradesh and Assam.
🏢 Foundation LaunchThe Tani Lipi Typing App is launched on the Google Play Store — empowering over 13 lakh Tani speakers to learn, type, and communicate in Tani Lipi on their mobile devices. A monumental step into the digital age.
📱 Digital Era BeginsThe official tanilipi.in website launches — the central hub for learning Tani Lipi, accessing resources, connecting with the community, and advocating for the constitutional recognition of Tani Language. The movement grows stronger every day.
🌐 Digital Home
Indigenous Social Scientist · Author
Inventor of Tani Lipi · Cultural Preservationist
Itanagar, Arunachal Pradesh, India
Dr. Tony Koyu is a multifaceted personality from Arunachal Pradesh — a social activist, cultural preservationist, and tireless advocate for indigenous rights. Growing up witnessing the gradual erosion of his mother tongue, he understood early on that a language without a written script is a language destined to die. This realization became the seed of a lifelong mission.
The creation of Tani Lipi was not a sudden invention — it was the result of years of deep linguistic research, phonetic analysis, and cultural study. Dr. Koyu studied the unique sound patterns of Tani dialects across different tribes, ensuring that the script could serve all of them equitably. The result was a 26-letter alphabetic system — 8 vowels and 18 consonants — that captures the full phonetic range of Tani languages with scientific precision.
"Tani Lipi is not a mere writing script — it is our pride and identity. It is our invaluable common intellectual property and the last hope to restore our language from going into oblivion. Adore your mother tongue and learn your indigenous script."
— Dr. Tony Koyu, Inventor of Tani LipiDr. Koyu has not only invented the script — he has actively used it to create literature. He has authored and published novels in both Galo and Adi languages using Tani Lipi, as well as a novel in Hindi. These works have been instrumental in teaching the script to thousands of people and demonstrating its literary capabilities. His novels were personally appreciated by the Chief Minister of Arunachal Pradesh, Shri Pema Khandu Ji.
To give his mission a formal institutional structure, Dr. Koyu established the Tony Koyu Foundation — a not-for-profit company registered under Section 8 of the Companies Act. The Foundation is dedicated to digitalizing, standardizing, and promoting Tani Language and Tani Lipi across both Arunachal Pradesh and Assam, and to advocating for its constitutional recognition.
Invented Tani Lipi on 2nd June 2000 — the script's founding day.
Presented Tani Lipi at NERIST seminar; received government approval from the Education Minister.
Published novels in Galo, Adi languages and Hindi using Tani Lipi; appreciated by CM Pema Khandu Ji.
Established Tony Koyu Foundation as a Section 8 company for institutional mission support.
Launched the Tani Lipi Typing App on Google Play Store — bringing the script into the digital age.
Launched tanilipi.in — the official digital home for Tani Lipi learning and community.
A language without a digital presence cannot survive in the 21st century. The Tony Koyu Foundation recognized this truth early and embarked on an ambitious mission to digitalize Tani Lipi — creating tools that allow Tani speakers to carry their language in their pocket.
In December 2023, the Tani Lipi Typing App was officially launched on the Google Play Store — a landmark achievement that allows over 13 lakh Tani speakers to type, learn, and communicate in their mother script on their Android smartphones.
Free Android app with full Tani Lipi keyboard for typing messages, posts, and documents.
Tani Lipi fonts compatible with computers, enabling print media, digital content, and publishing.
The central digital hub for learning Tani Lipi, accessing resources, and connecting with the community.
Step-by-step lessons, pronunciation guides, and interactive exercises available on the website.
Active on Facebook, Instagram, YouTube, and WhatsApp — spreading Tani Lipi content daily.
Download on Google Play
Tani Lipi Characters
Currently Available
Coming Soon
Dr. Tony Koyu has authored and published books in multiple languages using Tani Lipi — proving that the script is not just a writing system, but a vehicle for rich literary expression.
A pioneering literary work in the Galo language, written entirely in Tani Lipi — demonstrating the script's full expressive power for the first time in Galo literature.
A landmark novel in the Adi language written in Tani Lipi — appreciated by Chief Minister Shri Pema Khandu Ji. Facilitating thousands to master the script through storytelling.
Reaching beyond Tani-speaking audiences, Dr. Tony Koyu has also authored a novel in Hindi, bridging the Tani cultural world with the wider Indian readership.
A comprehensive step-by-step guide for learning Tani Lipi — covering all 26 characters, vowels, consonants, stroke order, and practice exercises for beginners.
Over two decades, Tani Lipi has earned recognition from government officials, academic institutions, tribal organizations, and the media across India.
The Education Minister of Arunachal Pradesh officially approved Tani Lipi as the common script for all state tribes in April 2001.
Chief Minister Shri Pema Khandu Ji personally appreciated Dr. Tony Koyu's novels written in Tani Language using Tani Lipi.
Tani Lipi was formally presented at a seminar at NERIST (North Eastern Institute of Science and Technology), Naharlagun in 2001.
Youth bodies like APATCYO, NYWA, GYO, and others have formally urged the government to adopt Tani Lipi as the official script.
Tani Lipi has been featured in the Echo of Arunachal Pradesh and various other regional media platforms, reaching thousands of readers.
The official Tani Lipi Typing App is available on the Google Play Store — giving the script a formal digital platform for over 13 lakh speakers.
From tribal elders to college students — here is what the Tani community says about Tani Lipi and what it means to them.
Learning Tani Lipi has been one of the most meaningful things I have ever done. For the first time, I can write my grandmother's stories in our own script. It feels like we finally have our own voice in this world.
As a Galo youth, I always felt something was missing. When I read Dr. Tony Koyu's novel written in our language using Tani Lipi, I felt an indescribable pride. This script is our identity and our future.
The Tani Lipi Typing App is incredible. I can now type in my mother tongue on my phone. I share Tani language posts every day on social media. Young people are getting interested — this is how we save our language.
I have seen languages die in my lifetime. When Dr. Tony Koyu showed us Tani Lipi, I felt hope again. Our children must learn this script. It is not just writing — it is the survival of who we are as a people.
As a linguist, I find Tani Lipi to be a scientifically sound and thoughtfully designed script. The phonetic precision with which it captures Tani sounds is truly impressive. Dr. Tony Koyu's contribution to indigenous linguistics deserves national recognition.
Our organization fully supports Tani Lipi and its adoption as the official script of all Tani-speaking tribes. We urge the government to include Tani Language in the 8th Schedule of the Constitution. This is our collective demand and our rightful place in India's cultural map.
Tani Lipi is our pride, our identity, and our last hope. Learn the script, share the language, teach your children, and help us carry the voice of the Tani people into the future. Every letter you learn is an act of love for your culture.
Free lessons on our website — start from zero and reach fluency.
Get the Tani Lipi Typing App free on Google Play Store.
Share Tani Lipi with your family, friends, and community.
Schools, NGOs & organizations — join our mission today.
Help fund the digitalization and promotion of Tani Language.