India Launches AI Skilling Initiative with Google to Train 15,000 Youth in Media Sector

Ashwini Vaishnaw launches initiatives aimed at boosting media and entertainment sector

India is set to revolutionize its media and entertainment landscape with exciting new projects. Notable among these is a collaborative AI training initiative with tech giants Google and YouTube, aimed at empowering content creators. Additionally, the launch of MyWAVES, a citizen-centric creator platform, promises to democratize content production. New Delhi: Information and Broadcasting Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw on Monday launched three major initiatives aimed at strengthening India's media and entertainment sector and promoting the creative economy. The three measures are: National AI Skilling initiative in partnership with Google and YouTube through the Indian Institute of Creative Technologies (IICT); MyWAVES, a citizen creator platform on WAVES OTT; and the rollout of Advanced Electronic Programme Guide (EPG) and in-built satellite tuners in television sets for enhancing access to DD Free Dish services. The move is aimed at promoting the 'Orange Economy', strengthening public broadcasting, and building an AI skilled workforce in the media and entertainment sector, an official statement said. The event witnessed participation from key media and entertainment (M&E) industry representatives, head of YouTube India along with senior officials from the ministry. Highlighting Prime Minister Narendra Modi's vision of democratising technology, Vaishnaw said the initiatives will make technology more affordable and accessible. He said with in-built satellite tuners and an advanced programme guide, citizens can now access content easily without additional equipment. The minister described MyWAVES as a powerful platform for content creators, enabling them to create, upload, and share content, thereby strengthening India's digital ecosystem. Referring to the Union Budget announcements, he underlined the government's commitment to promoting the 'Orange Economy' and supporting the creative sector. Vaishnaw further highlighted that under the National AI Skilling Initiative, being implemented with the support of YouTube, around 15,000 youths will be trained without any fee. He also spoke about the "Creators' Corner" initiative, noting its growing popularity, with some content already receiving over three million views. The minister urged creators across the country to actively use Doordarshan and platforms like MyWAVES to showcase India's rich culture, traditions, and regional diversity. Calling upon creators to leverage these platforms, he encouraged them to "present stories from their regions and contribute to a vibrant and inclusive media landscape". Talking about the three initiatives, Secretary in the ministry Sanjay Jaju highlighted that all three reflect a common policy direction. These initiatives are aimed at building a strong ecosystem for creators while ensuring wider access to quality broadcasting, he said. The National AI Skilling Initiative will help creators build capabilities and achieve their goals in the evolving digital landscape. MyWAVES will support the creation of a vibrant digital ecosystem, enabling citizens to create, upload, and share content. The third initiative related to DD Free Dish adds significant value by allowing citizens to access content without the need for a set-top box, thereby improving reach, especially in remote areas, the statement said. In essence, the first initiative will make people capable, the second will enable expansion of opportunities, and the third will ensure access to content for all, it added. Gunjan Soni, Managing Director - India, YouTube, said the initiative reflects the platform's continued commitment to a Digital India where technology serves as an enabler for all, the statement said. "We believe that AI has the potential to open up remarkable opportunities for India's dynamic creative economy. Through our collaboration with the Ministry of Information & Broadcasting and IICT, we aim to equip creators and professionals with the skills required to master the tools of the future, leverage AI to tell more compelling stories, expand their reach to new audiences, and play a role in shaping the future of media," Soni said. The ministry, in partnership with Google and YouTube, announced a National AI Skilling initiative to train 15,000 participants from the creative and media sectors. This initiative is being implemented through the IICT, and is aimed at strengthening AI capabilities in areas such as animation, visual effects, gaming, comics (AVGC) and media technology. The AI skilling programme will be conducted in two phases. Phase I, from March 23 to June 30, 2026, will focus on foundational AI learning at scale through Google Career Certificates and Google Cloud Generative AI learning paths. Participants will undergo courses such as AI Essentials, Prompting Essentials, Introduction to Generative AI, and Generative AI Leader Path. Successful completion of this phase will be mandatory for progression to the next stage. Phase II, to be conducted from July to December 2026, will focus on advanced, hands-on and project-based specialization for the creative industry. The curriculum will include modules on the art of storytelling, YouTube best practices, and advanced training using AI tools such as Gemini 3, Nano Banana, Veo, and Vertex AI. The training will be conducted in major cities across the country. The initiative will support creators, media professionals, students and developers in building future-ready skills and contribute to India's emergence as a global hub for digital content and innovation, the statement said. The country's most definitive MSME stage returns on March 24 in New Delhi. 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Government Unveils AI Skilling, Creator Platform and TV Reforms to Boost Orange Economy

TV sets with in-built satellite tuners to eliminate need for set-top boxes. The Union Ministry of Information and Broadcasting on Monday unveiled three major initiatives aimed at strengthening India's media and entertainment ecosystem, expanding access to public broadcasting, and fostering a robust creative economy. Union Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw announced the launch of a National AI Skilling Initiative, a new citizen-centric content creator platform titled MyWAVES on WAVES OTT, and the rollout of Advanced Electronic Programme Guides (EPG) along with in-built satellite tuners in television sets. The measures are aligned with the government's vision of promoting the "Orange Economy" and democratising access to technology, according to the official statement from the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting dated March 23, 2026. The National AI Skilling Initiative, being implemented in partnership with Google and YouTube through the Indian Institute of Creative Technologies (IICT), aims to train 15,000 youth free of cost. The programme will be conducted in two phases, beginning with foundational AI learning at scale through Google Career Certificates and Google Cloud Generative AI learning paths, followed by advanced, project-based training tailored for the media and entertainment sector, including animation, visual effects, gaming, comics (AVGC), and media technology. The curriculum will include modules on the art of storytelling, YouTube best practices, and advanced training using AI tools such as Gemini 3, Nano Banana, Veo, and Vertex AI. The training will be conducted in major cities across the country. The initiative will support creators, media professionals, students and developers in building future-ready skills and contribute to India's emergence as a global hub for digital content and innovation, the Ministry said. The Ministry also introduced MyWAVES, a new feature integrated into the WAVES OTT platform, designed to enable citizens to create, upload and share content. "MyWaves is designed as a structured platform for user-generated content (UGC) that will also support participation in national initiatives such as the Create in India Challenge," the Ministry highlighted. "The platform marks a shift from content viewing to active content participation, making WAVES OTT a platform not only for viewing but also for creation. MyWaves will support multiple formats including short videos, vertical videos and episodic content, and will offer a multilingual interface across Indian languages. MyWAVES is expected to serve as an important platform for emerging creators and storytellers from across the country," the Ministry said. In a move to enhance access to television services, the government announced the introduction of television sets equipped with in-built satellite tuners and an advanced programme guide. This will allow viewers to access DD Free Dish services without the need for a separate set-top box, thereby reducing costs and simplifying the viewing experience, particularly in remote and underserved regions. "At the same time, the new advanced programme guide will allow users to easily browse channels and programme schedules in one place through a simple and intuitive interface, making the overall viewing experience more convenient for households across the country," the Ministry added. Officials said the three initiatives collectively aim to build capabilities among creators, expand opportunities for content production, and ensure wider access to quality broadcasting. The Ministry emphasised that these efforts would contribute to making India a global hub for digital content while strengthening public broadcasting and supporting a future-ready workforce. Highlighting Prime Minister Narendra Modi's vision of democratising technology, Ashwini Vaishnaw said the initiatives will make technology more affordable and accessible. He added that with in-built satellite tuners and an advanced programme guide, citizens can now access content easily without additional equipment. Speaking about the second initiative, he described MyWAVES as a powerful platform for content creators, enabling them to create, upload, and share content, thereby strengthening India's digital ecosystem. Referring to the Union Budget announcements, he underlined the government's commitment to promoting the 'Orange Economy' and supporting the creative sector. The Minister further highlighted that under the National AI Skilling Initiative, being implemented with the support of YouTube, around 15,000 youths will be trained without any fee. He also spoke about the 'Creators Corner' initiative, noting its growing popularity, with some content already receiving over 3 million views. He urged creators across the country to actively use Doordarshan and platforms like MyWAVES to showcase India's rich culture, traditions, and regional diversity. Calling upon creators to leverage these platforms, he encouraged them to present stories from their regions and contribute to a vibrant and inclusive media landscape. Speaking about the three initiatives -- the National AI Skilling Initiative, the MyWAVES platform, and the rollout of in-built satellite tuners in television sets along with the advanced electronic programme guide -- Sanjay Jaju, Secretary, Ministry of Information and Broadcasting, highlighted that all three reflect a common policy direction. These initiatives are aimed at building a strong ecosystem for creators while ensuring wider access to quality broadcasting. The National AI Skilling Initiative will help creators build capabilities and achieve their goals in the evolving digital landscape. MyWAVES will support the creation of a vibrant digital ecosystem, enabling citizens to create, upload, and share content. The third initiative, related to DD Free Dish, adds significant value by allowing citizens to access content without the need for a set-top box, thereby improving reach, especially in remote areas. "In essence, the first initiative will make people capable, the second will enable expansion of opportunities, and the third will ensure access to content for all." Speaking about the partnership's impact on creators, Gunjan Soni, Managing Director - India, YouTube, said, "We believe that AI has the potential to open up remarkable opportunities for India's dynamic creative economy. Through our collaboration with the Ministry of Information & Broadcasting and IICT, we aim to equip creators and professionals with the skills required to master the tools of the future, leverage AI to tell more compelling stories, expand their reach to new audiences, and play a role in shaping the future of media. This initiative reflects our continued commitment to a Digital India where technology serves as an enabler for all." The Ministry of Information and Broadcasting said it is leading these efforts as part of its commitment to promoting the "Orange Economy," strengthening public broadcasting, improving accessibility, and building an AI-skilled, future-ready workforce for the media and entertainment sector.