New Delhi: The Ministry of Information and Broadcasting (MIB), in collaboration with the Indian Institute of Creative Technologies, has announced a national AI skilling initiative for India’s creative sector 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.
Anchored by IICT under MIB’s broader vision to strengthen India’s creative economy, the initiative marks a significant institutional push towards integrating artificial intelligence into mainstream creative education. Designed as a selective and impact-driven programme, it targets high-potential talent across media, entertainment, animation, gaming, and digital storytelling.
As the implementation partner, IICT will lead the nationwide rollout, overseeing programme design, outreach, and execution. In collaboration with Google and YouTube, the institute has curated a curriculum that blends advanced AI tools, creative workflows, and platform-level best practices, ensuring participants gain production-ready, industry-relevant skills.
The initiative builds on the “Create with AI” programme launched last year by IICT and YouTube, reinforcing MIB’s efforts to position India as a global hub for creative and digital innovation. By combining technical expertise with platform knowledge, the programme aims to create a future-ready workforce capable of driving the next phase of storytelling.
Hon’ble Minister for Information and Broadcasting, 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, 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.”
Vishwas Deoskar, CEO of IICT, added, “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. “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 programme will be delivered in two structured phases. The first phase will focus on foundational AI literacy, offering scholarships for Google Career Certificates and Google Cloud’s Gen AI learning paths. The second phase will provide hands-on, project-based training, including storytelling, advanced AI tools, and YouTube best practices, delivered through a hybrid model across key creative hubs in India.
With this initiative, the government and its partners aim to accelerate the adoption of AI in India’s creative industries while building a skilled talent pipeline aligned with global standards.
