With over 25 years of experience, Manav’s passion is to leverage digital technologies to provide equal opportunities in education, skilling, and entrepreneurship to the young people of India. 

Starting in the year 2018 through 2023, Manav and his team co-led with IBM along with the Ministry of Education, Skills and Entrepreneurship, one of the largest AI workforce development initiatives across India, including implementation of AI Skills modules and AI as an elective (available to 25,000 high schools across India).

INDIAai interviewed Manav Subodh to get his perspective on AI.

How do you envision AI reshaping education in India, especially in rural and underserved communities?

We can look at this in two ways: AI in education and AI for education. AI for education is a game-changer for rural and underserved communities. AI’s potential goes beyond teaching it as a skill- involving AI to improve the learning experience and access to high-quality education. It can happen through personalized learning pathways that adapt to a student’s unique pace, strengths, and goals. Since the 1990s, we’ve dreamt of true one-on-one teaching, but only now, with AI-driven platforms, can we make this a reality?

In India, Jungroo Learning is an AI platform that creates deeply personalized learning journeys for students by assessing their strengths and weaknesses. Then, there is PrepAI, which teachers can use to create unique assessments based on learning outcomes. Odia Generative AI has made the Odia LLaMA for the Odia language, with applications like AI chatbots and tutors designed to promote education and communication in Odia.

Globally, initiatives are already showing how AI can close learning gaps. For example, Squirrel AI in China uses adaptive algorithms to tailor lessons for students, achieving learning outcomes that are 10% higher than traditional methods. Think about what this could mean for India’s rural areas, where students’ individual needs have often been overlooked due to resource constraints. This type of AI-powered learning could help students develop self-paced learning habits, ensuring they are resilient and independent.

1M1B is piloting similar approaches in India, working with platforms that personalize lessons. These platforms help students with different learning speeds thrive together across different schools in the Indian education landscape. With AI-driven education, a student’s unique needs—whether they aspire to be a doctor, entrepreneur, or artist—can be accommodated, allowing them to reach their fullest potential.

1M1B Green Skills Academy is leveraging AI to create a future-ready green workforce. Data analytics tools like Open LCA and Energy Plus provide real-world internships that map to job roles like Energy Manager, Sustainability Manager, Power Engineer, Life Cycle Assessment Manager, Energy Audit, and ESG expert.

What unique role do you see AI playing in the school-to-work transition for India’s young workforce, and what are the potential challenges?

AI is transforming tech and sectors we don’t typically associate with AI skills, like the green economy, food, healthcare, supply chain, tourism, fashion, etc. As India moves towards its net-zero goals, we’ll need millions of young people who understand AI tools, whether in environmental science, responsible tourism, sustainable architecture or corporate sustainability. Data analytics and the ability to use AI-powered platforms are now fundamental skills.

One emerging trend is using AI in green jobs—fields dedicated to environmental sustainability. For example, OpenEnergy, an AI-driven platform, is widely used in Europe to help environmental practitioners optimize energy usage and reduce waste. Similarly, AI-powered tools in ESG (Environmental, Social, Governance) fields allow young professionals to measure and improve sustainable practices, making them essential skills for a greener economy.

The main challenge in this transition is broadening the perception of AI beyond tech-centric roles. AI practitioners must be equipped to use AI tools effectively, whether architects designing sustainable cities, healthcare professionals improving patient care, or agronomists improving crop yields. We focus on training students as AI users and tool integrators across disciplines, which will allow them to bridge their primary disciplines with AI applications. 

What is the role of corporate partnerships in scaling AI education, and how can they ensure their impact reaches even the most remote regions of India?

Corporate partnerships are critical to making AI education scalable and accessible across India. However, there’s a need for a mindset shift; many corporate initiatives still assume that AI education belongs in elite or urban environments. At 1M1B, we’ve partnered with organizations like IBM’s Skills Build that believe in the power of inclusivity. Still, many such partnerships must evolve to reach the grassroots level, making a connection with future jobs.

Supporting educators from all fields—whether they teach biology, math, or English—so they can incorporate AI technologies into their lessons is essential to making AI education truly inclusive. Only when AI becomes a cross-disciplinary skill will it become an integral part of the broader education narrative.

Also, we need to leverage AI education to achieve bigger goals, both economic and environmental. For example, AI can reduce carbon emissions by 5-10% globally. AI can make us reach our net zero goals 10 years faster in India. Further, according to the World Economic Forum, 30 million green jobs leveraging AI will be created by 2050. AI can be used to optimize energy, streamline industry processes, accelerate renewable energy adoption and more. 1M1B Green Skills Academy, leveraging AI announced at the United Nations headquarters in New York in 2023 and launched in partnership with the State Govt of Telangana and Salesforce, is an excellent example in this direction.

We also need to give real experiences to support AI education. Corporations opening their doors and supporting AI internships will become vital.

With the rise of the creator economy and digital entrepreneurship, how can AI help young entrepreneurs in India maximize their impact and reach, particularly for those in rural areas?

AI enables a new wave of digital entrepreneurship, allowing young people, even in remote areas, to build income-generating skills. The “gig economy” is no longer limited to major cities. AI-powered platforms like Upwork and Fiverr have democratized opportunities, allowing rural youth to become freelancers and entrepreneurs without migrating to urban areas.

But we can’t wait until students are in college to introduce these skills. At 1M1B, we believe digital tools for solopreneurship should be introduced as early as grades 6-8. Many young people drop out before high school, and early digital and AI skills training could help them build sustainable livelihoods. For instance, a student from a small town could learn to manage digital marketing for local businesses, or a young girl, using AI-powered tools, could generate an income by doing video editing and copywriting for large companies all from the comfort of her home.

Schools across Europe have started integrating digital entrepreneurship into their curricula, with Finland leading the way by teaching children as young as ten about online business and freelancing. India needs a similar focus, especially in Industrial Training Institutes (ITIs) and rural schools, to enable students to secure future-ready jobs, even in informal sectors.

How does 1M1B approach AI’s role in supporting sustainable solutions, especially with India’s youth as a driving force? 

1M1B is harnessing AI to accelerate India’s journey toward sustainability and net zero, focusing on preparing youth for green careers. We recently launched a program of 100,000 green internships in partnership with the All India Council for Technical Education (AICTE), designed to equip students with AI-based skills for tackling environmental challenges. The focus is AI applications, from energy management to sustainable supply chain analytics.

1M1B is also establishing a Climate Tech Zone and Experience Centers, which will expose students to tools like OpenLCA, which helps businesses track and optimize material flow, or EnergyPlus, which aids in monitoring energy use to reduce waste. Data analytics and AI will also give practical exposure to circular economies, material flow, optimizing energy, streamlining industry processes, life cycle assessment, and sustainable supply chains.

By focusing on AI-based solutions for sustainability, we’re creating a generation of skilled workers ready to lead and work for small and medium enterprises in adopting sustainable practices. This grassroots approach is essential because SMEs form the backbone of India’s economy, and adopting sustainable practices is crucial to national and global goals.

Finally, as someone deeply involved in AI initiatives in education and skilling, what emerging trends in AI do you see shaping the future workforce, and how is 1M1B preparing to adapt to these changes?

I believe that the future of AI isn’t just in its creation but in its use and application across different fields. At 1M1B, we focus on “localizing” AI—using tools and models relevant to specific communities. We’re seeing a shift towards indigenous solutions, where AI is increasingly developed with a local perspective, addressing the unique challenges of each community.

For instance, in a hackathon format, we’ve been working on large language models (LLMs) that can support regional languages, allowing local innovators to create content and tools for their communities. This localization isn’t only about language, cultural context, and relevance. We’re training young innovators in smaller towns to use AI tools to address issues specific to their regions, whether agricultural planning or localized health solutions.

Our partnerships with corporate entities, like Meta support this vision, ensuring that local youth aren’t just passive consumers of AI but active creators and users. Integrating open-source AI and LLMs into our programs enables grassroots innovation, empowering students to develop solutions that benefit their communities. This decentralized approach to AI education is where we believe the future lies—an inclusive, community-driven AI ecosystem that serves India’s diverse population.