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

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

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

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

" partnership on AI assistant aims to streamline information access, improve learning outcomes, and provide students with seamless support through an intuitive digital interface. 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 Skill India ecosystem, we are democratising access to cutting-edge technologies enabling personalised learning pathways for youth of country. Our partnership with Meta today is a significant step towards achieving this goal."

Shivnath Thukral, Vice President and He of Public Policy, Meta India, said, "Through integration of vanced technologies like Open-Source Llama we aim to empower not just students, but also educators and entrepreneurs, equipping m with tools y need to thrive in today's digital-first world."

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

chatbot, which will be integrated into 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, chatbot will support English, Hindi, and Hinglish, along with voice capabilities, making it more accessible to a diverse range of users across India.

In dition, 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.