At a time when artificial intelligence (AI) is the maven of the contemporary technological boom, the need for AI skilling in India has become crucial for economic sustenance and keeping abreast of global competition. In a study titled 'Limitations of AI Skilling Programs in India: A Critical Analysis', Dr Aayushi Arya, School of Technology, Woxsen University, Hyderabad and Anubhav Tiwari, Chief Innovation Officer, NIELIT-MeitY, Government of India, explained in detail how AI is a golden avenue in skilling India for the future, which makes it a central question at present. 

AI training programs have become necessary for a country to prepare for the technological paradigm shift that the AI revolution has brought. The study discusses initiatives by the government and private sector to contribute to AI skilling. However, despite all the collaborative efforts, a huge gap can still be seen in the AI skilling patterns in India. 

Government skilling programs for AI 

The Government of India has launched many efforts to teach AI skills to its people. The aim is to make the nation a leader in the digital market. Two of the key efforts in the given direction are mainly the National AI Portal, known as INDIAai, and NIELIT. The former portal is made with the help of the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY), the National e-Governance Division (NeGD), and NASSCOM. At the same time, the latter develops and conducts certification courses in AI. It is India's main hub for all AI work and offers plenty of resources.

The India AI mission is a state project to promote understanding of artificial intelligence (AI) and encourage a favourable setting for AI creativity and building in India. It includes several tasks and plans to advance the employment and incorporation of AI in various fields. The mission includes activities to train and increase people's AI skills, giving them the needed knowledge and skills.

The INDIAai portal acts as a main hub for accessing details, resources, and news about AI efforts, events, and rules in India. By creating a helpful setting for AI, the portal aims to bring digital change and tech progress in different areas. 

The National Institute of Electronics & Information Technology (NIELIT) plays a major role in AI training throughout India. It provides several AI courses at its locations, including Python to analyze data, machine learning deep learning, and a certified AI associate program. Centres in Calicut and Kolkata also offer courses in AI machine handling and deep learning.

Limitations and challenges

According to the report, the difficulties in AI training programs in India come from money problems. Changing a manufacturing site to use robots involves spending a lot of money to add the Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT) and other Industry 4.0 parts. Putting in AI and cloud technologies is important for making AI work better because they use a lot of data and run into problems due to the lack of special computing and storing places in India. Despite the potential, these financial barriers block the adoption of AI in different sectors. These funding issues are a large challenge for the progress of AI skilling programs in India. Solving these challenges is key to implementing and adopting AI technologies in the country. 

Some possible solutions to improve financial conditions include finding various financing mechanisms like outcome-based bonds, Social Impact Bonds (SIB), Development Impact Bonds (DIB), and fund-of-funds. Public-private partnerships are suitable means to tackle these issues. 

Staying relevant 

India stands out from other developing nations by forming strategic partnerships and pushing for bold projects. A key example is the FutureSkills Prime program, an effort led by the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY) and NASSCOM to teach new skills and improve existing skills in AI professionals. This program acts as a business-to-consumer platform focusing on how to use AI in both IT and non-IT fields. 

The Natural Languages Translation Mission made by MeitY with the Ministry of Electronics and the Department of Science and Technology shows India's commitment to building a society rich in knowledge. This service uses AI to help with translations between English and various Indian languages, making it easier for more people to access digital content. The opening of the Virtual and Augmented Centre of Entrepreneurship in Bhubaneswar, together with the Government of Odisha and IIIT Bhubaneswar, is meant to create a strong research environment for Virtual Reality and Augmented Reality technologies.

Looking ahead, the need to synchronize policy frameworks, educational bodies, and industry participants becomes more urgent, aiming to strengthen India's role in the global AI field. In the future, we must focus on easing the identified challenges through strategic money allocation, new partnerships, and a solid promise to improve AI knowledge and reach throughout social levels.

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