Jayant Chaudhary Leads Strategic Meet to Integrate AI into India’s Skilling Roadmap

Highlighting the need for broad-based capacity building, Shri Jayant Chaudhary emphasised that AI skilling at scale requires deep coordination between government, industry, academia, and training institutions.

Shri Jayant Chaudhary, Minister of State (Independent Charge) for Skill Development & Entrepreneurship, chaired a high-level meeting on “Skilling for AI” at Kaushal Bhawan, New Delhi, outlining a strategic roadmap to embed artificial intelligence competencies across India's skilling ecosystem. The session focused on aligning efforts under the IndiaAI Mission, strengthening inter-ministerial coordination, and advancing AI readiness to accelerate the vision of Viksit Bharat.

Senior officials including Shri Debashree Mukherjee, Secretary, MSDE; Ms. Sonal Mishra, Additional Secretary, MSDE; Shri Abhishek Singh, Additional Secretary, MeitY & CEO, IndiaAI Mission; Ms. Debjani Ghosh, Distinguished Fellow, NITI Aayog and Chief Architect, NITI Frontier Tech Hub; and leadership from MSDE and NCVET participated in the deliberations.

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Strengthening India’s AI Talent Pipeline Through Collaboration

Highlighting the need for broad-based capacity building, Shri Jayant Chaudhary emphasised that AI skilling at scale requires deep coordination between government, industry, academia, and training institutions. He said that the aim is to promote flexible, modular learning, ensure industry co-ownership in training frameworks, and keep curricula aligned with emerging job demands in an AI-driven global economy.

He added that embedding AI capabilities across general education, vocational training, and workforce skilling is essential for preparing India’s human capital for leadership in the digital future.

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Comprehensive Review of AI Skilling Initiatives Under MSDE

The meeting reviewed several flagship MSDE initiatives, including:

• SOAR – Skilling for AI Readiness

• DGT–Microsoft AI training collaboration

• TechSaksham 2.0 (AI Careers for Women)

• AI skilling modules under PMKVY 4.0

These programmes form the core of the Ministry’s efforts to equip learners with applied AI skills, strengthen teacher training, and expand access to technology-driven skilling models.

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Multi-Stakeholder Consultation to Align Policy, Industry and Workforce Needs

Following the strategic review, MSDE convened a broader multi-stakeholder consultation with representatives from:

• Ministry of Electronics & IT (MeitY)

• IndiaAI Mission

• Industry leaders and technology firms

• Academia and research bodies

• Regulators and skilling ecosystem partners

The consultation sought to harmonise policy vision, industry requirements, and training delivery systems to build a future-ready AI workforce capable of driving India’s digital transformation.

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Addressing the Urgency of India’s AI Talent Requirements

Participants noted the scale and urgency of India’s AI talent challenge, given the rapid growth in AI-linked job roles across sectors. Discussions emphasised:

• The necessity of continuous upskilling and reskilling

• Building applied and sector-specific AI competencies

• Ensuring training frameworks support the full AI value chain, including research, model development, deployment and responsible governance

The alignment with the IndiaAI Mission's FutureSkills pillar was highlighted as a critical step toward making India a trusted global AI hub.

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Building Early-Stage AI Literacy and Long-Term Digital Confidence

Stakeholders acknowledged steady progress in creating early AI awareness, foundational digital learning, and problem-solving skills among students. These initiatives were recognised as essential for nurturing curiosity, creativity, and confidence in navigating emerging technologies.

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Towards a Mission-Driven, Outcome-Oriented AI Skilling Framework

The discussions reinforced the need to move from fragmented interventions to a mission-driven, integrated, and outcome-oriented skilling model. Key recommendations included:

• Enhancing industry co-ownership of curriculum and training

• Introducing stackable, modular learning pathways

• Expanding apprenticeships and live AI projects

• Strengthening institutional infrastructure for AI skilling

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Priority Areas for the Next Phase of Action

The consultation concluded with a shared understanding of MSDE’s central role in shaping India’s AI-ready workforce. Priority areas identified include:

• Integrating foundational AI modules into existing vocational curricula

• Strengthening digital and physical infrastructure for AI skilling

• Expanding early-stage AI literacy initiatives

• Deepening partnerships with industry and academia

• Ensuring regulatory agility to keep pace with technological progress

These steps mark a significant advancement in India’s efforts to scale AI skilling, cementing the Ministry’s role in building a globally competitive, future-ready workforce for an AI-enabled economy.