The Ministry of Information and Broadcasting (MIB), in collaboration with the Indian Institute of Creative Technologies (IICT), has announced a national AI skilling initiative in strategic partnership with Google and YouTube. The programme will offer 15,000 scholarships aimed at building advanced AI capabilities among creators, storytellers and digital professionals across India.
Anchored by IICT under MIB’s broader vision for strengthening the creative economy, the initiative marks a structured step towards integrating AI into mainstream creative education. It is positioned as a selective, impact-led programme targeting high-potential talent across media, entertainment, animation, gaming and digital storytelling.
As the implementation partner, IICT will lead the national rollout, managing programme design, outreach, curation and execution. Working closely with Google and YouTube, IICT has developed a curriculum that combines advanced AI tools with creative workflows and platform-level best practices. This ensures participants are equipped with production-ready, industry-relevant skills from the outset, aligning with current and emerging demands in content creation.
The initiative builds on the ‘Create with AI’ programme launched last year by IICT and YouTube, extending its scope and reinforcing MIB’s ambition to position India as a global hub for creative and digital innovation. From a marketing and media perspective, the programme reflects a growing convergence between technology platforms and content ecosystems, where AI-led storytelling and distribution capabilities are becoming central to competitive advantage.
Ashwini Vaishnaw, minister for information and broadcasting, said, “India is on a trajectory to become a global powerhouse in the creative and technology sectors. Our partnership with Google and YouTube to launch this national AI skilling program is a critical step in empowering our talented youth. By equipping 15,000 individuals with advanced AI skills, we are not just preparing them for the jobs of tomorrow but also ensuring that India leads the world in the creative industry.”
Gunjan Soni, managing director, India, YouTube, highlighted the platform’s creator-focused approach. “We believe AI can unlock incredible new opportunities for India's vibrant creative economy. By working together with the Ministry of Information & Broadcasting and IICT, we can provide creators and professionals with the skills they need to become fluent in the tools of tomorrow, use AI to tell richer stories, reach new audiences, and help shape the future of media. This program is a testament to our commitment to a 'Digital India' where technology empowers everyone.”
Shekar Khosla, vice president, marketing, India, Google, added, “We remain deeply committed to supporting India’s growth as a leading digital economy. This expanded partnership with the Ministry of Information & Broadcasting will provide creative professionals with the specialized AI skills needed to succeed. We're excited to see how they will use our most advanced tools to build innovative solutions and shape the future of India's vibrant creative landscape.”
Vishwas Deoskar, ceo, IICT, emphasised the programme’s applied focus. “This initiative is structured to address a clear national requirement preparing creative professionals for practical, real-world application of AI across content creation, production, and distribution,” he said. “Through IICT’s role as the implementation partner, the programme establishes a focused skilling framework that moves beyond awareness and into capability building. The collaboration ensures that the curriculum, scale, and delivery are aligned with both industry standards and India’s long-term creative economy objectives.”
The programme will be delivered in two phases. The first phase focuses on foundational skills, where 15,000 participants will receive scholarships for Google Career Certificates and Google Cloud’s Gen AI learning paths, enabling access to core AI literacy and responsible practices. The second phase centres on specialisation, where participants will undertake hands-on, project-based training in storytelling, advanced AI tools and YouTube best practices. This phase will be co-curated by IICT and YouTube and delivered through a hybrid model across key creative hubs in India.
The initiative underscores how platform partnerships and government-backed programmes are shaping the next wave of talent development, with AI positioned as a critical enabler of future-ready content ecosystems.
