The keynote address was delivered by Professor Bhaskar Chakravorti, Dean of Global Business, The Fletcher School, Tufts University, on “Human Flourishing in the Age of AI” and the vision for a Global South coalition for transition infrastructure. The panel discussion was moderated by Sidharth Madaan, Partner & Managing Director, BCG, and featured Yolynd Lobo, Director and Head of Global Affairs and Public Policy, Google Cloud India; Arunkumar Pillai, CEO, NSDC; Rakesh Kaul, Technology Consulting Partner, EY; and Dr. Neena Pahuja, Former Executive Member, NCVET, who shared insights on building AI capabilities anchored in talent, trust and technology.

The session concluded with a compelling live demonstration by Sunil Kumar, Lead Engineer – Machine Learning, Google, on “Scaling Creative with GCP GenMedia,” showcasing how GenMedia models can generate production-ready assets, enable immersive AI-driven creative workflows, and transform conceptual ideas into scalable, real-world applications.

The session was also graced by Ms. Debashree Mukherjee, Secretary, Ministry of Skill Development and Entrepreneurship, Government of India, who actively engaged with participants, shared her perspectives on aligning AI skilling with national priorities, and emphasised the importance of building a talent ecosystem rooted in trust, inclusivity and industry relevance. Ms. Debashree Mukherjee, Secretary, MSDE, also visited the Skill India Pavilion, where she interacted with exhibitors showcasing cutting-edge innovations in skilling, digital learning, and AI-enabled training solutions. She engaged in detailed discussions with industry partners and training providers, appreciating their efforts in aligning emerging technologies with inclusive and outcome-driven skill development.

Delivering the keynote address, Prof. Bhaskar Chakravorti of the Fletcher School, Tufts University, highlighted that the future of AI leadership will be determined not only by technological capability, but by trust frameworks, digital public infrastructure and the strength of national talent pipelines. He noted that India’s experience in building inclusive, population-scale digital systems gives it a distinctive advantage in designing AI that is equitable, accessible and trusted.

The panel discussion, moderated by Mr. Sidharth Madaan of BCG, featured Ms. Yolynd Lobo of Google Cloud India, Mr. Arunkumar Pillai of NSDC, Mr. Rakesh Kaul of EY and Dr. Neena Pahuja of NCVET. The conversation focused on how AI is reshaping skilling ecosystems, institutional preparedness and workforce pathways. 

Mr. Arunkumar Pillai, CEO, National Skill Development Corporation (NSDC) underlined that AI is not merely a subject of instruction but an enabler of delivery, functioning as trainer, assessor and career guide. Through AI awareness programmes, the SOAR initiative and AI-enabled capabilities within the Skill India Digital Hub (SIDH), learners are now benefiting from personalised pathways, real-time labour market insights and outcome-based assessments. 

Dr. Neena Pahuja outlined a structured three-tier framework – AI for All, AI for Many and AI for Few, to build capabilities from foundational literacy to advanced specialisation. She shared that SOAR registrations have crossed two lakh learners and highlighted the rollout of nano-credentials, stackable pathways and modular qualifications aligned with the National Credit Framework. She mentioned that our ITIs are also integrating short-duration AI modules to enhance productivity across traditional trades.

Mr. Rakesh Kaul stressed that the central question is not whether AI will transform work, but how institutions anticipate and manage that shift through responsible innovation and risk preparedness. Ms. Yolynd Lobo emphasized the need to expand domestic compute capacity, deepen partnerships and connect AI solutions across value chains, ensuring inclusion from agriculture to creative industries.

The session concluded with a shared commitment to collaborative action between government, academia and industry to ensure that India’s AI journey remains human-centric, inclusive and globally competitive.

The post At AI Impact Summit 2026, Human-Centric AI Session Sets Direction for Skill India appeared first on newsmantra.in l Latest news on Politics, World, Bollywood, Sports, Delhi, Jammu & Kashmir, Trending news | News Mantra.

Shri Fadnavis, along with Deputy Chief Ministers Shri Eknath Shinde and Shri Ajit Pawar, launched the Marathi version of SIDH which will enable professionals, students, and researchers to engage more effectively with valuable content, ensuring wider knowledge dissemination across Maharashtra.

By breaking language barriers, this initiative fosters linguistic inclusivity and empowers citizens with essential information in their mother tongue, as envisioned in NEP 2020. The platform will assist youth in skilling themselves in over 7000 skill courses that includes Industry 4.0 courses, Artificial Intelligence, Machine Learning and Drone technology to name a few.

Shri Uday Samant, Minister of Marathi Language of Maharashtra, Shri Shrirang Barne, Member of Lok Sabha, Smt Neelam Gorhe, Member of Maharashtra Legislative Council, Sri Siddharth Shirole, Member of Maharashtra Legislative Assembly, Shri Bapusaheb Pathare, Member of Legislative Assembly, along with Shri Ved Mani Tiwari, CEO of NSDC and MD NSDC International and other eminent dignitaries from various fields graced the occasion.

Shri Ved Mani Tiwari, CEO of NSDC, was felicitated by the Hon’ble Minister Shri Uday Samant, for his instrumental role in shaping SIDH into a pioneering initiative that is transforming knowledge accessibility. Shri Tiwari has been at the forefront of driving innovation, integrating technology with education, and ensuring that skill development reaches every corner of the nation. His relentless efforts have positioned SIDH as a model for linguistic inclusivity and empowerment.

Speaking at the ceremony and reinforcing the central government’s commitment to skilling and digital empowerment, Shri Tiwari said, “SIDH has nationally recorded more than 1.26 crore registrations in over a year. It is offering thousands of skilling courses, and with the unveiling of the Marathi version, NSDC is showcasing the utility of the platform to empower millions of Marathi-speaking youth and help them unlock their career prospects.”

In terms of registrations, Maharashtra is among the top five states in the country while in terms of user traffic, at 30 per cent nationally, it stands next to Uttar Pradesh. With the unveiling of the Marathi version, the popularity and registration of the skilling courses and the platform will further go up. Marathi is among the 23 languages in which the platform can be accessed.

The most popular courses in the state include, web design, cybersecurity, kisan drone operator. Over 43,000 female users have enrolled in various online courses, with over 80 per cent being under the age of 30. The top sectors attracting enrolment from the state include IT-ITeS, entrepreneurship, and electronics among others.

People learn more effectively in their native language, so the Ministry of Skill Development and Entrepreneurship, along with NSDC, has been working to offer skilling courses in local languages to maximize results.

“With the unveiling of the Marathi version of SIDH, we are trying to ensure that language is never a barrier to skilling. It aligns with vision of National Education Policy (NEP) 2020, which emphasises the importance of regional language communication in education and skill development. We are enabling the youth of Maharashtra and the global Marathi community to seamlessly integrate into India’s employment and digital skilling ecosystem.” Shri Tiwari said, underscoring the significance of regional inclusivity and digital transformation.

SIDH is a comprehensive digital platform that has been developed to access skilling opportunities, career guidance, and opportunities both in India and abroad. Maharashtra is the largest economy in India, so the demand for a skilled workforce would be maximum.

With the aim of making the state a USD 1 trillion economy by 2028, a district-wise Skill Gap Analysis Report was conducted in the state in 2023 by the Skills, Employment, Entrepreneurship & Innovation Department (SEEID).

The survey engaged with over 1500 industries and over 200,000 trainees across the state to understand skill gaps in traditional and new-age sectors and identified electronics, automotive, agriculture, BFSI, and IT/ITeS among the sectors for immediate intervention.

The 2023 survey also conducted a language proficiency of the labour force, and found that majority of the staffs in the sample, laid huge emphasis on the proficiency of Marathi language. Over 95 percent of industry respondents expected the workforce to know Marathi, while over 83 percent Hindi.

Maharashtra being a hub for industry and commerce, this initiative will provide young aspirants with the necessary resources to upgrade their skills and integrate into the workforce efficiently.

The unveiling event included video on the platforms key features, demonstrating its user-friendly interface and potential to connect youth with over 50,000 industry partners and 5.5 lakh apprenticeship opportunities. The Marathi version of SIDH will serve as a bridge between aspirations and opportunities, furthering the mission to make India the skill capital of the world. Additionally, the platform will include industry-specific skill modules, certification programs, and employer-led training programs to ensure job readiness among youth.

The post Devendra Fadanavis unveils Marathi version of Skill India Digital Hub appeared first on newsmantra.in l Latest news on Politics, World, Bollywood, Sports, Delhi, Jammu & Kashmir, Trending news | News Mantra.