Google Uses India as Testing Ground to Scale AI in Education with Gemini Practice Tests

Google Gemini Finds Its Largest Learning Audience in India

India has emerged as the world's largest daily user of Google Gemini for education-focused tasks, transforming how the tech giant approaches AI in education at scale 1

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. With more than a billion internet users and an education system serving approximately 247 million students across nearly 1.47 million schools, India now accounts for the highest global usage of Gemini for learning, according to Chris Phillips, Google's vice president and general manager for education 1

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. An Ipsos survey cited by Google reveals that learning has overtaken every other use case for AI globally, with nearly three out of four Indians believing AI can improve student outcomes 4

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. Over the past month alone, Indian users generated more than three million learning outputs on NotebookLM, including quizzes, flashcards, and summaries 4

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JEE Main Practice Tests Signal Push into AI Exam Preparation

Google recently expanded its AI-powered learning capabilities by introducing full-length JEE Main practice tests within Gemini, targeting millions of students preparing for the Joint Entrance Examination (JEE), India's highly competitive engineering entrance exam 2

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. Gemini for students now offers questions based on vetted content from Indian education firms Physics Wallah and Careers360, providing immediate feedback that highlights areas of strength and where further study is needed 2

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. Students can simply type "I want to take a JEE Main mock test" in Gemini to attempt the exam, with the chatbot providing scores, time taken, and explanations for complex concepts 3

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. The JEE Main practice tests will also roll out to AI Mode in Search, including the Canvas tool, which allows students to build interactive study guides and quizzes by attaching their class notes 2

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India's Complex Education System Reshapes Google's AI Strategy

India's decentralized education landscape, where curriculum decisions sit at the state level and ministries play an active role, has forced Google to abandon its traditional one-size-for-all approach 1

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. Phillips emphasized that Google's AI in education initiatives are designed so that schools and administrators decide how and where tools are used, marking a shift for the Silicon Valley firm 1

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. The company is seeing faster adoption of multimodal learning in India, combining video, audio, and images alongside text to reach students across different languages and learning styles 1

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. Google has also focused on AI tools for educators rather than bypassing them, with Phillips noting that "the teacher-student relationship is critical" and that the company aims to help it "grow and flourish, not replace it" 1

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Scaling AI Faces Infrastructure and Access Challenges

Google is encountering schools where devices are shared, connectivity is inconsistent, or learning jumps directly from pen and paper to AI tools 1

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. Phillips acknowledged that "access is universally critical, but how and when it happens is very different," pointing to environments where schools rely on shared or teacher-led devices rather than one-to-one access 1

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. This digital divide presents both challenges and opportunities for scaling AI across India's vast education system, which includes 10.1 million teachers and a higher education system with more than 43 million students enrolled in 2021-22 1

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Google Invests ₹85 Crore in Adaptive Learning Tools

Google.org announced an ₹85 crore grant (approximately $10 million) to Wadhwani AI aimed at integrating adaptive learning tools into government-run education platforms 2

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. The initiative targets systems such as national online learning portals and state education platforms, aiming to reduce administrative burdens for educators while improving personalization 2

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. The program spans pre-school through higher education and includes tools such as voice-based reading support in multiple Indian languages and AI-powered English learning coaches 2

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. Google claims the initiative has already reached around 10 million learners and educators, with plans to scale to 75 million students, 1.8 million educators, and a million early-career professionals by the end of 2027 2

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Edtech Industry Faces Pressure from Free AI Exam Preparation

The rollout of free AI exam preparation through Google Gemini has raised questions about the future of India's edtech industry, particularly for companies built around content libraries 5

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. Pulkit Swarup, Senior Vice President of Engineering at Physics Wallah, acknowledged that "free, high-quality practice, explanations, and doubt solving have now been fully commoditised," forcing platforms to move beyond content libraries toward structure, prioritization, and exam strategy 5

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. Charu Malhotra, co-founder of consultancy firm Primus Partners, noted that "pressure is most visible in consumer-facing test prep, tutoring and homework-help services," with students now expecting free or low-cost AI support 5

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Concerns Around Curriculum Alignment and Academic Governance

Experts warn against students relying solely on general-purpose AI during critical exam years, citing concerns about curriculum alignment and academic governance 5

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. Swarup cautioned that "AI models are not inherently aware of syllabus boundaries, marking schemes or evolving exam patterns unless tightly constrained," warning that learning may feel productive while drifting away from what is actually tested 5

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. Malhotra flagged additional risks ranging from plagiarism and bias to data privacy, noting that "unlike curriculum-aligned edtech platforms, general-purpose AI tools are not designed for academic governance" 5

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Google Partners with Government on AI-Enabled University

Google is partnering with the Ministry of Skill Development and Entrepreneurship and Chaudhary Charan Singh University on a pilot to build India's first AI-enabled state university 2

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. The project aims to create a national framework for applying AI across vocational and higher education, encompassing teaching, student support, and administrative operations 2

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. Additionally, Google plans to work with government agencies on a nationwide program covering 40,000 Kendriya Vidyalaya educators to help teachers use AI for administrative work and lesson design 1

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. These initiatives reflect Google's focus on improving student comprehension and learning outcomes through ecosystem-level integration rather than standalone AI features 4

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