Over 18.56 lakh youth registered on ‘FutureSkills Prime’ for reskilling: Government

The government envisions the next decade as ‘India’s Techade’. Over the last nine years, India has become a leading nation in developing technology for the benefit of its citizens and transforming their lives.

According to recent reports, India continues to be a leader in AI talent and skills diffusion.

The Stanford AI Index 2024 highlights that India ranks highest in global AI skills penetration rate and AI talent concentration. India’s AI skills penetration rate is estimated at 2.8, ahead of the United States (2.2) and Germany (1.9).

Additionally, India has seen a significant increase in AI talent concentration, growing by 263% since 2016. According to the BCG-NASSCOM Report 2024, the AI ​​market in India is witnessing robust growth, with an estimated compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 25-35%.

This information was shared by Minister of State for Electronics and Information Technology Jitin Prasada in a written reply in the Lok Sabha on Wednesday.

AI may result in automation of some regular jobs but it will also result in job creation in various data science, data curation, etc. This will require reskilling and upskilling for which the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY) has launched the ‘FutureSkills Prime’ programme for re-skilling/up-skilling of IT manpower for employment in 10 new/emerging technologies including Artificial Intelligence.

Under this programme, till date, more than 18.56 lakh candidates have registered on the FutureSkills Prime portal, out of which more than 3.37 lakh candidates have completed their courses.

The scheme of Centres of Excellence for Artificial Intelligence, implemented by MeitY in partnership with NASSCOM, is supporting startups in developing AI-based tools and applications useful for manufacturing companies. Several such solutions have been deployed by companies in the manufacturing sector.

National e-Governance Division (NeGD), MeitY in collaboration with its partners has implemented ‘YUVAi: Youth for Advancement and Growth with AI’ – a national programme for school students aimed at imparting AI technology and social skills to school students from class 8th to 12th in an inclusive manner. The programme will provide a platform for the youth to learn and apply AI skills in 8 thematic areas- Agriculture, Wellness, Education, Environment, Transport, Rural Development, Smart Cities and Law & Justice.