PM Modi Announces AI Training for 1 Crore Youth, Free Online Coaching for Competitive Exams
Previously, Under the IndiaAI Mission, MeitY launched YUVA AI for ALL in November 2025 and the programme had recorded 85.27 lakh enrolments as of July 8, 2026.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi has announced plans to train 1 crore young Indians in artificial intelligence over the next year and create a free online coaching network for competitive examinations, as part of a broader push to expand technology skills and improve access to education.
Addressing the nation from the Red Fort on August 15, Modi said the government would undertake a nationwide AI-skilling programme aimed at preparing young people for an economy increasingly shaped by artificial intelligence. The announcement comes as India seeks to build a larger technology-skilled workforce and strengthen its position in the global AI ecosystem.
Modi also announced plans to establish a free online coaching network for competitive examinations, saying the initiative would help reduce the financial burden on poor and middle-class families that spend heavily on private coaching. The government plans to use India’s digital infrastructure and teaching talent to make coaching resources accessible to students across the country.
The government has not yet announced detailed information on the examinations that will be covered, the delivery platform, course structure or the implementation timeline for the new coaching network.
The announcements build on existing government efforts to expand AI education. Under the IndiaAI Mission, MeitY launched YUVA AI for ALL in November 2025, a free 4.5-hour self-paced course designed to introduce citizens, particularly young people, to the fundamentals of AI. The programme had recorded 85.27 lakh enrolments as of July 8, 2026 and is available through FutureSkills Prime and iGOT Karmayogi.
The government is also expanding AI education through the FutureSkills pillar of the IndiaAI Mission, which supports AI learning from undergraduate to PhD levels and is setting up 570 AI and Data Labs in Tier-2 and Tier-3 cities. Separately, the Skilling for AI Readiness (SOAR) programme had enrolled 2.30 lakh students in AI courses by February 2026.
Technology and innovation form one of the pillars of Modi’s broader Shakti Ki Saptadhara development framework. In his address, he highlighted areas including artificial intelligence, quantum computing, space technology, robotics and data centres, while calling for India to develop next-generation technologies and build capabilities such as Made-in-India 6G.