The world is undergoing rapid transformation due to the artificial intelligence (AI) revolution, impacting global industries such as healthcare, finance, education, manufacturing, and public services. This advancement creates the need for AI literacy in existing education systems. Recognizing this, the Government of India recently launched the Skilling for AI Readiness (SOAR) program, a ground-breaking initiative implemented by the Ministry of Skill Development and Entrepreneurship (MSDE). The program aims to integrate artificial intelligence (AI) skills into India’s education and skill acquisition ecosystem and enable students and teachers to adapt to a future shaped by AI.
Launched in July 2025, SOAR coincided with the 10-year milestone of Skill India Mission, which has empowered millions of people through various schemes. Through these plans, the government has been able to bridge the gap between traditional education and the needs of emerging technologies. Pradhan Mantri Kaushal Vikas Yojana (PMKVY) 4.0 continues to build on this legacy by extending its reach into new and emerging areas such as Artificial Intelligence (AI).
The authority aims to equip students and educators from classes VI to XII across the country with the knowledge and skills required for the rapidly evolving global job market. The initiative proposes three 15-hour modules for students and one 45-hour module for educators. SOAR aims to introduce fundamental concepts of AI, including the fundamentals of machine learning (ML), the ethical use of AI, and practical applications.
AI and the transformation process
The SOAR program aims to increase interest and motivation by teaching the basics of AI in schools. SOAR provides special training for teachers to add AI lessons to their current classes. Through SOAR, the government aims to increase the country’s capacity for innovation and self-reliance by enabling careers and entrepreneurship in high-demand fields such as data analytics, software engineering, and digital product development. Given India’s focus on becoming a future global hub for AI-driven innovation and talent, its ambitions resonate with the vision of Atmanirbhar Bharat.
AI is transforming the education landscape in India, in line with the NEP 2020 recommendations that emphasize incorporating new topics such as AI into the school curriculum. CBSE has started teaching AI in schools. Introduced in Class IX from the 2019-2020 academic session and extended to Class XI from the 2020-2021 session, it focuses on practical applications such as skill development and personalized learning tools. The Union Budget for 2025-26 also set aside Rs 500 crore for building an AI Center of Excellence for Education.
The intention behind this is to enable the introduction of AI in education, foster critical thinking in the classroom, and support research and innovation. There is a strong need to move from traditional teaching methods to technology-driven approaches such as “blackboard to chipset”.
In support of this goal, AICTE accredited institutions have been directed to offer AI as an elective subject in various educational courses. Similarly, IITs are currently teaching advanced AI topics such as deep learning, machine learning, and predictive data analysis. These efforts are steps toward a future-ready education system and technology-driven workforce.
There is no doubt that India is stepping up its efforts to build a tech-savvy workforce. The government plans to ensure that young Indians are ready for the jobs of the future through targeted initiatives under Pradhan Mantri Kaushal Vikas Yojana (PMKVY) 4.0, National Apprenticeship Promotion Scheme (NAPS), Industrial Training Institute (ITI) and National Skills Training Institute (NSTI), Skill India Digital Hub (SIDH) platform.
Integrating AI and digital learning in Skill India Mission (SIM)
PMKVY 4.0, launched in 2015, focuses on future skills such as AI. We provide short-term training, help people improve their skills and recognize what they already know. By October 2025, approximately 39,768 people have acquired AI-related job skills, including data scientists, machine learning engineers, business intelligence analysts, and DevOps engineers.
This increased focus on AI training demonstrates the Indian government’s commitment to its goal of becoming a global center for new ideas and digital talent. From 2022-23 to June 2025, 1,480 apprentices across India learned AI jobs. These jobs include AI data engineer, machine learning engineer, and Python AI trainee. Under the NAPS program, approximately 60 private companies have offered AI apprenticeships by March 2025. NAPS-2 is the second phase and will support AI exercises. Apprentices will be paid up to 25% of the stipend (up to INR 1,500). This amount will be provided through direct benefit transfers.
The National Apprenticeship Promotion Scheme (NAPS) continues to take major steps towards upskilling employees across India. To date, more than 44.43 million apprentices have participated, 22.5 million have completed training, and 6.54 million have achieved certification. The program has disbursed Rs 775.94 million in direct benefits and has partnered with over 1.93 million registered facilities, of which 53,795 are currently active.
In collaboration with NAPS, Skill India Digital Hub (SIDH) is a leading online platform under the Ministry of Skill Development and Entrepreneurship (MSDE). SIDH is revolutionizing digital learning. With 15.3 million registrations, over 98 million minutes of online learning content, and over 9.18 million minutes of digital catalog, SIDH offers courses in AI/ML and digital technologies at various levels of expertise, along with job and entrepreneurship opportunities that empower India’s youth.
The platform is accessible in 23 languages. By combining self-paced courses, NSQF courses, and academy courses, we create a path to employment or starting a business. SOAR also aims to make India’s AI journey inclusive and easily accessible to everyone. The program will bridge the digital divide and provide equal opportunities to students from all backgrounds by extending AI education to both urban and rural schools through the Skill India Digital Hub.
The Indian government has laid a strong foundation for upskilling students and strengthening the workforce by focusing on new programs such as SOAR to prepare an AI-enabled generation. SOAR supports the Skill India Mission and the ViksitBharat@2047 vision initiative, which aims to equip the youth with essential digital skills to improve employability and productivity in AI-driven sectors and help realize India’s vision of being a developed country by 2047 through the ‘AI for All initiative’.
To ensure equitable learning access, SOAR prioritizes digital inclusion. We use tools like Skill India Digital Hub to deliver AI training to rural and disadvantaged communities. This initiative will help reduce the digital divide between urban and rural areas and create equal opportunities for all.
The SOAR program is a major step towards making India a world leader in AI education and workforce training. SOAR brings AI learning into school lessons and vocational training. This gives students and teachers cutting-edge skills and creates a culture of new ideas and ethical technology use. SOAR works with partners and uses platforms such as Skill India Digital Hub. This makes the program accessible to people from all backgrounds. It empowers India’s youth to drive technology and economic growth.
SOAR is an important part of the Viksit Bharat@2047 plan. It builds the foundation for an India that is inclusive, competitive and self-reliant in the digital world. This will help India shape the future of global innovation.
(Courtesy of PIB Srinagar)
