Meta, Skill Ministry partner to launch AI assistant for Skill India Mission

The Ministry of Skill Development and Entrepreneurship on Monday said it has entered into a partnership with Meta to launch an AI Assistant for the Skill India Mission and establish five centres of excellence in virtual reality and mixed reality.

Under the partnership, an innovative AI-powered chatbot powered by Meta's open-source Llama model will be developed to enhance the learner experience on the Skill India Digital (SID) Portal.

Moreover, the five centres of excellence at National Skill Training Institutes (NSTIs) in Hyderabad, Bengaluru, Jodhpur, Chennai, and Kanpur will equip learners and instructors with the latest VR technology to learn and enhance existing skills in a safe, immersive, and engaging environment, according to a statement.

"The partnership on AI assistant aims to streamline information access, improve learning outcomes, and provide students with seamless support through an intuitive digital interface. The five centres of excellence will also provide realistic simulations, improve engagement, and increase accessibility to skill development training," a statement said.

Jayant Chaudhary, Minister of State (Independent Charge) for Skill Development & Entrepreneurship, said, "By integrating technologies like artificial intelligence, virtual reality and mixed reality into the Skill India ecosystem, we are democratising access to cutting-edge technologies enabling personalised learning pathways for the youth of the country. Our partnership with Meta today is a significant step towards achieving this goal."

Shivnath Thukral, Vice President and Head of Public Policy, Meta India, said, "Through the integration of 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."

Sarvam AI, the technical partner for the AI assistant project, will be responsible for the development and deployment of the chatbot, which will be piloted over a six-month period, as per the statement.

The chatbot, which will be integrated into the SID Portal, offers 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, making it more accessible to a diverse range of users across India.

In addition, users can search for specific course topics, find skilling centres, explore job listings based on location and interest, and receive tailored feedback for continuous improvement.