On Monday, the Ministry of Skill Development and Entrepreneurship announced a partnership with Meta to introduce an AI Assistant for the Skill India Mission and establish five centres of excellence in virtual and mixed reality.
As part of this collaboration, an AI-powered chatbot utilizing Meta’s open-source Llama model will be developed to enhance the user experience on the Skill India Digital (SID) Portal.
The five centres of excellence, located at National Skill Training Institutes (NSTIs) in Hyderabad, Bengaluru, Jodhpur, Chennai, and Kanpur, will equip learners and instructors with advanced VR technology, providing a safe, immersive, and engaging environment for skill enhancement.
According to a statement, “The AI assistant partnership aims to streamline information access, improve learning outcomes, and offer students seamless support through an intuitive digital interface. The centres will also facilitate realistic simulations, enhance engagement, and increase accessibility to skill development training.”
Jayant Chaudhary, Minister of State (Independent Charge) for Skill Development and Entrepreneurship, remarked, “By incorporating technologies like artificial intelligence, virtual reality, and mixed reality into the Skill India ecosystem, we are democratizing access to cutting-edge tools and creating personalized learning pathways for the youth of our country. Our partnership with Meta is a significant step toward achieving this vision.”
Shivnath Thukral, Vice President and Head of Public Policy at Meta India, added, “By integrating advanced technologies like Open-Source Llama, we aim to empower not only students but also educators and entrepreneurs, providing them with the tools necessary to thrive in today’s digital-first environment.”
Sarvam AI, the technical partner for the AI assistant project, will develop and deploy the chatbot, which will be piloted over six months.
This chatbot, integrated into the SID Portal, will offer 24/7 support, enabling quick access to course information, interactive Q&A on course content, and summaries and videos for revision.
Accessible via WhatsApp, the chatbot will support English, Hindi, and Hinglish, as well as voice functionality, making it more user-friendly for a diverse audience across India. Additionally, users can search for specific course topics, locate skilling centres, explore job listings based on their interests and location, and receive personalized feedback for continuous improvement.
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