23 March, 2026 – New Delhi, India: The Ministry of Information & Broadcasting (MIB), Government of India, in collaboration with the Indian Institute of Creative Technologies (IICT), has announced a national AI skilling initiative for the creative sector, in strategic partnership with Google and YouTube. The programme will offer 15,000 scholarships aimed at building advanced, future-ready AI capabilities among India’s next generation of creators, storytellers, and digital professionals.
Anchored by the IICT under MIB’s broader vision for strengthening India’s creative economy, the initiative represents a significant institutional step towards integrating artificial intelligence into mainstream creative education. The programme is designed as a selective, impact-focused skilling pathway, tailored specifically for high-potential talent across media, entertainment, animation, gaming, and digital storytelling.
As the designated implementation partner, IICT will lead the national rollout, overseeing programme design, outreach, curation, and execution. IICT, working closely with Google and YouTube, has designed a curriculum that integrates advanced AI tools, creative workflows, and platform-level best practices, ensuring participants are equipped with production-ready, industry-relevant skills from the outset.
This initiative builds on the “Create with AI” program, announced last year by IICT and YouTube, and reinforces MIB’s commitment to positioning India as a global hub for creative and digital innovation. By combining technical AI skills with platform expertise, the program aims to graduate a production-ready workforce that can drive the next stage of storytelling.
Hon’ble Minister for Minister of Information and Broadcasting, Shri Ashwini Vaishnaw, 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.”
Speaking about the partnership’s impact on creators, Gunjan Soni, Managing Director – India, YouTube, said, “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.”
Highlighting Google’s commitment to the initiative, Shekar Khosla, Vice President, Marketing, India, said, “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.”
“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,” said Vishwas Deoskar, CEO, Indian Institute of Creative Technologies. “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,” he added.
The program will be delivered in two structured phases to guide participants from foundational knowledge to deep technical specialization:
- Phase I: Foundational Skills: Focused on building AI literacy at scale, 15,000 participants will receive scholarships for Google Career Certificates and Google Cloud’s Gen AI learning paths. Google’s Career Certificates program offers professional training designed by Google and the opportunity to connect with top employers, democratizing access to foundational AI concepts and responsible practices.
- Phase II: Specialization: Upon completion of phase 1, participants will advance to hands-on, project-based training. The curriculum includes the art of storytelling, advanced training with Google’s AI tools, and comprehensive modules on 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.
