New Delhi, May 4 (IANS) The government announced a national AI skilling initiative offering 15,000 scholarships for skilling emerging talent in media, entertainment, animation, gaming and digital storytelling, an official statement on Monday.

The Ministry of Information & Broadcasting (MIB), in collaboration with the Indian Institute of Creative Technologies (IICT) is launching the initiative developed in partnership with Google and YouTube, the statement said, adding that the enrolment is open for interested individuals.

The program will deliver a two‑phase curriculum combining online foundation training and hybrid specialisation to equip participants with industry‑relevant AI skills.

The foundation phase will provide scholarships for Google Career Certificates and Google Cloud’s Generative AI learning paths, comprising about 33 hours of online training in generative AI fundamentals, prompting techniques and responsible AI practices.

“Interested candidates are encouraged to take advantage of this initiative and acquire AI skills that will enhance their careers in creative fields,” the statement said.

Participants who complete the foundation stage will move to a hybrid specialisation phase focused on practical application.

The specialisation phase will include project‑based learning in storytelling, creative production, and the use of advanced AI tools.

The curriculum, co-developed by IICT and YouTube, also incorporates platform best practices to enhance content reach and engagement. Learners will gain exposure to tools and platforms through guided modules.

Phase 1 is designed to build core AI literacy at scale and 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, democratising access to foundational AI concepts and responsible practices, the report noted.

Selected participants will undergo approximately 33 hours of online training covering generative AI fundamentals, prompting techniques, and responsible AI practices.

By combining technical proficiency with creative application, the initiative aims to build a skilled talent pool capable of driving innovation across India’s rapidly evolving media and digital landscape.

CEO, IICT, Dr. Vishwas Deoskar said that this initiative aims to address a clear national requirement preparing creative professionals for practical, real-world application of AI across content creation, production, and distribution.

—IANS

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