The Ministry of Skill Development & Entrepreneurship (MSDE) announced its partnership with Meta to launch two pivotal initiatives: an AI Assistant for the Skill India Mission and the establishment of five Centers of Excellence (CoEs) in Virtual Reality (VR) and Mixed Reality (MR) at National Skill Training Institutes (NSTIs) across the country.
Shri Jayant Chaudhary, Minister of State (Independent Charge) for Skill Development & Entrepreneurship, articulated the vision behind this partnership, stating, “Our mission at the Ministry is to empower India’s youth with the skills they need to thrive in today’s competitive landscape. By integrating technologies like artificial intelligence, virtual reality, and mixed reality into the Skill India ecosystem, we are democratizing access to cutting-edge technologies that enable personalized learning pathways for the country’s youth. Our partnership with Meta today is a significant step towards achieving this goal.”
This initiative will lead the the development of an innovative AI chatbot, powered by Meta’s open-source Llama model, designed to enhance the learner experience on the Skill India Digital (SID) Portal. The chatbot, to be integrated into the SID Portal, will provide 24/7 assistance to users, enabling quick discovery of course information, interactive Q&A for course content, and access to lecture summaries and relevant videos for revision. Available over WhatsApp, the chatbot will support English, Hindi, and Hinglish, along with voice capabilities, thereby making it more accessible to a diverse audience across India.
The chatbot is designed to allow users to search for specific course topics, locate skilling centres, explore job listings based on location and interest, and receive tailored feedback for continuous improvement. Additionally, it will provide valuable analytics to the MSDE, allowing for the further optimization of the platform. Sarvam AI, the technical partner for the AI assistant project, is set to develop and deploy the chatbot, which will be piloted over a six-month period.
By making Meta’s open-source AI models accessible to India’s AI ecosystem, this partnership envisions a collaborative e-governance framework for adopting impactful AI solutions, with the potential to catalyze large-scale socio-economic transformation in alignment with India’s AI Mission. The five CoEs established at NSTIs will equip learners and instructors with the latest VR technology, enabling them to learn and enhance existing skills in a safe, immersive, and engaging environment.
Shivnath Thukral, Vice President and Head of Public Policy at Meta India, remarked on the collaboration, saying, “At Meta, we are committed to leveraging frontier technologies like AI, VR, and MR to impact India’s economic development. These partnerships with the Ministry of Skill Development & Entrepreneurship (MDSE) testify to our commitment to bridging the gap between technology and education. By integrating advanced technologies like Open-Source Llama, we aim to empower not just the students but also educators and entrepreneurs, equipping them with the tools they need to thrive in today’s digital-first world.”
Furthermore, Skillveri, the technical partner for establishing the CoEs, will provide cutting-edge VR and MR resources, curriculum, and trained professionals to equip learners and instructors with the latest technology, facilitating immersive and interactive learning experiences.
