Parliament Question: Skill Development and Capacity Building Programmes on AI

GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF ELECTRONICS AND INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 4019 TO BE ANSWERED ON: 12.08.2026 SKILL DEVELOPMENT AND CAPACITY BUILDING PROGRAMMES ON AI 4019. SHRI G M HARISH BALAYOGI: Will the Minister of ELECTRONICS AND INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY be pleased to state: (a) the details of skill development and capacity-building programmes implemented by the Government on Artificial Intelligence (AI) during the last three years, programme and State/UT-wise; (b) the number of persons enrolled, trained and certified under such programmes, year, programme and State/UT-wise especially in Andhra Pradesh; (c) the number of training centres and institutions engaged in implementation of such programmes, State/UT-wise especially in Andhra Pradesh; (d) whether the Government has assessed access to AI skilling programmes in rural, semi- urban and areas outside established technology hubs and if so, the details thereof along with the gaps identified; (e) the details of placement, employment and entrepreneurship outcomes of persons trained under such programmes, programme and State/UT-wise; and (f) the details of steps taken or proposed to be taken by the Government to expand access to AI skilling and capacity-building programmes in rural, semi-urban and underserved areas especially in Andhra Pradesh? ANSWER MINISTER OF STATE FOR ELECTRONICS AND INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY (SHRI JITIN PRASADA) (a) to (f): India’s AI strategy is guided by the vision of the Hon’ble Prime Minister to democratize access to and use of technology, ensuring that the benefits of AI reach all sections of society. The strategy focuses on leveraging AI to address India-specific challenges, foster innovation, and create new economic and employment opportunities. This vision is further strengthened by India’s vibrant IT sector, which has an annual revenue of approximately 300 billion dollar and a skilled workforce of over 6 million professionals, providing a strong foundation for India’s leadership in the global AI ecosystem. AI Training for the Existing Workforce, including Government Employees: India is a skills capital in IT, known for its strong talent pipeline and skilled workforce, with its IT sector globally recognised for high-quality talent. As per global assessments such as the Stanford AI Index, India ranks among the leading Nations in AI adoption, preparedness and ecosystem vibrancy. India also accounts for around 20% of the global semiconductor design workforce, reflecting its emphasis on skilling and talent development.The Government launched the Digital India Programme in July, 2015 and has been taking steps to retain India's advantage in IT skills, promoting skilling in emerging technologies through initiatives, so that digital technologies improve the life of every citizen, expand India's digital economy and create investment and employment opportunities. FutureSkills PRIME Programme: The Ministry of Electronics & Information Technology has initiated a programme titled “FutureSkills PRIME”, jointly with NASSCOM (National Association of Software and Services Companies), for re-skilling/up-skilling of candidates in new/emerging technologies. Key features are: ● Skilling, reskilling and upskilling in emerging technologies such as Artificial Intelligence, Big Data Analytics, IoT, Cyber Security, Blockchain, AR/VR, etc. ● Courses developed in consultation with industry to align with actual employment needs. ● The Portal can be accessible anytime, anywhere, to earn skill certificates in line with aptitude and aspirations (https://futureskillsprime.in/). ● Currently, the FSP portal hosts more than 500 industry-aligned courses, with various Global OEM partners collaborating in the FSP ecosystem. ● So far, more than 34 lakh candidates have registered on the portal, of which 23 lakh+ have enrolled/trained in various courses, and 13 lakh+ have completed/certified. This includes 41% women and 86% candidates from Tier 2 and Tier 3 cities. ● In addition, 22 CDAC/NIELIT Centres have been grouped as Lead and Co-Lead Resource Centres (RCs) for 10 emerging technologies, mandated to train Government officials and conduct bootcamps. In total, they have trained 32,000+ (including 5,821 in Artificial Intelligence/ Big Data Analytics (AI/BDA)) Government officials, 2,367 trainers and 40,400+ (including 9,092 in AI/BDA) candidates under 420+ bootcamps. ● In the State of Andhra Pradesh, a total of 4.34 lakh+ candidates are enrolled/trained, which includes 2.13 lakh+ candidates in AI/BDA technology. In the last three years, 1.53 lakh candidates are enrolled/trained out of which 1.08 lakh candidates completed/certified in AI/BDA technology. ● Further, FSP portal is also integrated with NASSCOM’s Talent Connect Portal, enabling industry job opportunities access to the candidates. ● The details of State-wise Enrolled/Trained and Completed/Certified candidates under FSP in AI/BDA during the last three years are as under: State Enrolled/ Completed/ Trained Certified Andaman and Nicobar 26 21 Andhra Pradesh 1,53,783 1,08,895 Arunachal Pradesh 21 7 Assam 952 330 Bihar 8,828 5,215 Chandigarh 287 84 Chhattisgarh 4,195 2,464 Dadra & Nagar Haveli & Daman & Diu 24 15 Goa 178 98 Gujarat 7,296 3,807Haryana 9,858 6,708 Himachal Pradesh 1,148 566 Jammu and Kashmir 786 416 Jharkhand 3,777 2,250 Karnataka 46,534 34,790 Kerala 17,206 9,729 Ladakh 17 4 Lakshadweep 5 2 Madhya Pradesh 18,988 8,384 Maharashtra 68,460 45,277 Manipur 180 53 Meghalaya 75 25 Mizoram 23 10 Nagaland 34 12 NCT of Delhi 8,851 5,617 Odisha 7,512 4,359 Puducherry 1,171 966 Punjab 7,548 4,658 Rajasthan 6,673 3,853 Sikkim 18 6 Tamil Nadu 1,61,190 86,932 Telangana 68,306 45,250 Tripura 546 532 Uttar Pradesh 39,596 26,039 Uttarakhand 3,475 2,588 West Bengal 7,192 3,902 Others 1,059 1,091 National Institute of Electronics & Information Technology (NIELIT): NIELIT delivers training through 56 Centres and 9,000+ partner institutes, and has developed 42 NSQF-aligned AI courses. As a formal academic offering, NIELIT's Deemed to be University offers 8 AI-focused programmes at undergraduate and postgraduate levels, along with PhD research opportunities. The NIELIT Digital University (NDU) platform, offering online and blended AI/emerging-technology courses with AI-enabled mentoring and career guidance, has recorded over 2.75 lakh registrations. NIELIT Tirupati Centre, Andhra Pradesh, has been established to strengthen the IECT ecosystem through innovative curriculum development, industry-aligned training, and high- quality learning content in emerging technologies. Further, NIELIT has a presence with 22 DLC Facilitation Centres, for delivering Digital Literacy Courses in the State. Also, NIELIT has 02 Accredited Centres for conducting skill based long term courses of NIELIT. Through the NIELIT digital university platform, AI education is being made available across rural and urban areas, helping build a future-ready AI workforce and supporting India's emergence as a Global leader in AI.Under the IndiaAI FutureSkills Pillar, NIELIT is implementing the “IndiaAI Data Labs” initiative. As part of the initiative, IndiaAI Data Labs have been established at 27 NIELIT Centres, with 6,051 candidates trained. IndiaAI FutureSkills Pillar: Under the IndiaAI FutureSkills pillar, the “YUVA AI for All” course has been completed by over 26.5 lakh individuals and is available across platforms including FutureSkills PRIME, Skill India and iGOT Karmayogi. Mission Karmayogi: Under Mission Karmayogi, more than 1.7 crore Government officials from the Centre and States have been onboarded on the iGOT Karmayogi platform, which offers over 200 AI and emerging-technology courses. These courses have recorded more than 3.3 crore completions, with over 61 lakh officials having completed at least one AI course. Initiatives of Ministry of Skill Development & Entrepreneurship (MSDE): ● Under the Government of India’s Skill India Mission, the Ministry of Skill Development and Entrepreneurship (MSDE) delivers skill, re-skill and up-skill training through an extensive network of skill development centres/institutes under various schemes. The Skill India Mission aims at enabling youth of India to get future-ready, equipped with industry-relevant skills. ● Pradhan Mantri Kaushal Vikas Yojana (PMKVY), Jan Shikshan Sansthan (JSS), National Apprenticeship Promotion Scheme (NAPS) and Craftsman Training Scheme (CTS) through Industrial Training Institutes (ITIs) are covering all the sections of the society across the country. The Skill India Digital Hub (SIDH), offers AI and Generative AI courses to support upskilling and reskilling of the workforce. ● PMKVY 4.0 implemented since FY 2022-23 gives special emphasis on future skills and emerging technologies, including Artificial Intelligence (AI), Machine Learning, Robotics, Cloud Computing, Internet of Things (IoT), Data Analytics, Cyber Security and Green Technologies, to prepare youth for new and emerging job roles. ● Under PMKVY, placements were tracked in the Short-Term Training (STT) component in the first three versions of the Scheme, implemented from FY2015-16 to FY 2021-22, wherein a total of 1.11 Crore candidates were certified, out of which 24.38 lakhs were reported placed under the STT component of the scheme. Further, under PMKVY 4.0, the focus is to empower the trained candidates to choose their varied career paths, and they are suitably oriented for the same. ● The Directorate General of Training (DGT), has developed 170 NSQF-compliant courses, including 32 new-age/Future Skills courses under the Craftsmen Training Scheme (CTS), in emerging areas such as Artificial Intelligence, Industrial Robotics, Cyber Security, and Green skills etc. These courses are designed to equip youth across the country with industry-relevant skills in emerging technologies, enhance their employability, and meet the evolving demand for skilled manpower across various sectors. These courses are delivered through a nationwide network of Industrial Training Institutes (ITIs) and National Skill Training Institutes (NSTIs). Building a Large-Scale AI-Skilled Workforce:● The IndiaAI Fellowship scheme provides for 500 PhD, 5,000 postgraduate and 8,000 undergraduate fellowships; 686 fellowships have been awarded to date across 178 participating institutions. ● 27 IndiaAI Data and AI Labs have been established at NIELIT Centres, with 543 further labs identified for establishment across ITIs/Polytechnics in Tier-2/3 cities. ● IndiaAI is working with expert partners to design and deliver industry-aligned, NCVET-recognised certification courses, preparing learners for entry-level AI careers while promoting responsible use of AI. ● An IndiaAI Competency Framework equips public-sector officials with the skills required to engage with AI technologies, building a foundational understanding of AI's capabilities and defining behavioural, functional and domain-specific competencies required for government roles. ● The Government has approved a scheme for 58 AI Centres of Excellence across States and Union Territories to strengthen AI innovation, industry-academia collaboration and the National AI talent pipeline. ● NITI Aayog has constituted a High-Powered Standing Committee on Education to Employment and Enterprise to assess the impact of emerging technologies, including AI, on jobs, skills and workforce readiness; MeitY's AI Governance and Economic Group (AIGEG) complements this by examining economic, labour- market and societal implications of AI. ● The Government's approach further spans integration of AI into school, higher and technical education curricula, and provision of shared AI compute infrastructure, datasets and models through the IndiaAI Mission to support learning, research and innovation. ● Institutions under the Ministry of Education are offering specialised courses and programmes in Artificial Intelligence, Machine Learning, Data Science, and Cyber Security and Ethical Hacking, to enhance students' digital capabilities and employability. ******