Inaugurated by Union Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw on March 23, the program will concentrate on enhancing skills in areas such as animation, visual effects, gaming, comics (AVGC), and media technology.
The initiative targets creators, media professionals, students, and developers, equipping them to adapt to fast-changing digital tools and workflows. It is being implemented by the Indian Institute of Creative Technologies (IICT) in partnership with Google and YouTube.
As part of this initiative, 15,000 scholarships will be provided to participants to cultivate advanced AI skills. The IICT will manage the nationwide rollout, which encompasses program design, outreach, and execution. The institute has collaborated closely with industry partners to create a curriculum that integrates advanced AI technologies, creative workflows, and best practices at the platform level.
The program will unfold in two phases through 2026.
The first phase, scheduled from March 23 to June 30, 2026, will emphasize foundational AI learning at scale through Google Career Certificates and Google Cloud’s generative AI learning pathways. Participants will engage in courses such as AI Essentials, Prompting Essentials, Introduction to Generative AI, and the Generative AI Leader Path.
According to the
Ministry of Information & Broadcasting, completion of this phase will be essential to progress to the subsequent stage.
The second phase, from July to December 2026, will feature hands-on, project-based specialization designed for the creative industry. This phase will include modules on storytelling, YouTube best practices, and advanced training using AI tools like Gemini, Veo, and Vertex AI.
“The initiative will empower creators, media professionals, students, and developers to acquire future-ready skills and help position India as a global hub for digital content and innovation,” the ministry stated.
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The AI skilling initiative is part of the government’s larger strategy to enhance the ‘Orange Economy’ by strengthening public broadcasting and developing an AI-skilled workforce in the media and entertainment sectors.
Alongside the AI Skilling Initiative, Vaishnaw also introduced two other significant initiatives:
1) MyWAVES, a citizen creator platform on WAVES OTT.
2) The rollout of an Advanced Electronic Programme Guide (EPG) and in-built satellite tuners in television sets to enhance access to DD Free Dish services.
