PM Modi announces AI training for 10 million youth over the next year

The programme would mark a sharp expansion of existing AI skilling efforts, with Modi also highlighting opportunities in aviation, sports, green mobility and other emerging sectors

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday announced a plan to train 1 crore young people in artificial intelligence (AI) skills over the next year, positioning youth skilling as a priority in the government’s push towards a developed India.

 

“We have decided that in the next year, we will give 10 million youth training in AI skills so that our young people can be leaders in AI,” Modi said in his Independence Day address from the Red Fort.

 

The scale of the proposed programme marks a sharp expansion from the government’s existing AI skilling efforts. As of June 30, 53,449 candidates had enrolled in AI-related job roles under PMKVY 4.0, of whom only 25,466 had been certified, according to a parliamentary reply. The government has also not conducted a specific assessment of the demand for AI skills or the gap in trained workers, the Ministry of Skill Development told the Lok Sabha.

 

Modi said young people would be the biggest beneficiaries of initiatives aimed at achieving the goal of Viksit Bharat and called for youth to be at the centre of the development agenda.

 

He cited Startup India, Skill India, the opening up of the space sector, Khelo India and the National Education Policy among initiatives that had created new opportunities for young people. Growth in sectors such as the bioeconomy and electric vehicles had also opened new avenues for employment, he said.

 

Modi also highlighted the expansion of the aviation sector, including new airports and routes, saying this was creating demand for skilled manpower in areas such as aircraft maintenance and overhaul.

 

The Prime Minister said opportunities in sports had expanded beyond being an athlete, with Khelo India games, university and winter games, sports infrastructure, coaching, sports medicine and sports nutrition creating new avenues for employment.

 

He also announced a nationwide talent hunt for children aged five to 15 years from villages, cities and schools. The programme will seek to identify sporting talent and provide specialised training with the aim of improving India’s competitiveness and participation in the 2036 Olympics.

 

Modi also highlighted the expansion of social security coverage, saying the number of people covered had risen from 25 crore before 2014 to 100 crore over the past decade.

 

The announcements come as the government seeks to align skilling and employment policies with emerging sectors, including AI, technology, green mobility, aviation and sports, while expanding opportunities for young people beyond traditional career paths.