Bengaluru: In a big push for artificial intelligence education, Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced in his Independence Day speech AI skilling courses for one crore young people over the next year.
With India set to host the AI Summit this year, PM Modi announced the need to expand AI skills among the youth.
“We have resolved that in the coming one year, we will work to provide AI skill training to one crore youth, so that the youth of our nation possess the capability to lead the world in the domain of AI as well,” Modi said from the ramparts of Red Fort.
India’s expanding startup ecosystem
In his speech, the prime minister also stressed India’s focus on promoting its startup ecosystem.
“Over the last 10-12 years, a lot has happened. Under the Startup India initiative, more than 2.5 lakh startups are now registered across the country,” he said.
Modi added that India’s youth was not only creating opportunities for themselves but also generating employment opportunities for others.
“The government has announced a Rs 1 lakh crore innovation fund. I want to tell the youth of the country—come forward with your dreams. We will ensure there is no shortage of resources,” he said. “We have created a mechanism with Rs 1 lakh crore to strengthen your ideas, innovation and capabilities.”
The speech touched upon government initiatives to empower the youth, including Digital India and affordable data. PM Modi said that new opportunities have emerged in research.
“If there is any place in the world where data is available at such a low cost, it is India. This has given the country’s youth new strength. We have made Skill India a national programme. We have opened up the space sector and introduced the National Drone Policy,” he said.
India has taken significant steps toward self-reliance in the semiconductor sector, Modi added.
“Three major semiconductor plants have already started operations, and I have been informed that the production taking place there has already started being exported,” he said.
Modi also laid out a plan for the coming years.
“I want to tell my fellow citizens that in the next seven to eight years, another five to eight semiconductor plants are likely to become operational. This journey towards an Atmanirbhar Bharat is paving the way for us to move towards a Viksit Bharat,” he added.
(Edited by Prasanna Bachchhav)
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