MIB: 60,253 enrol for National AI Skilling Initiative Phase I; 552 complete all 4 modules

The government’s National Artificial Intelligence (AI) Skilling Initiative has received 60,253 applications and enrolments under Phase I, but only 552 participants have completed all four modules of the programme, according to information provided by the Ministry of Information & Broadcasting in the Lok Sabha on Wednesday.

The figures, disclosed in response to an unstarred question by MP Adv Gowaalk Kagada Padavi, provide the first detailed picture of participation and completion under the government’s AI skilling programme. The data shows a substantial gap between enrolment and full completion, with 4,620 participants having completed two modules so far.

Phase I of the initiative consists of four modules spread across two learning platforms, with a total course duration of 33 hours. The programme is designed to provide participants with foundational and practical skills in artificial intelligence, including generative AI, prompting, productivity applications and organisational use of AI.

The first platform covers AI Essentials and Prompting Essentials. The AI Essentials module is aimed at helping participants build practical AI skills for improving day-to-day productivity, synthesising data and creating content. Prompting Essentials focuses on frameworks for writing professional prompts, an increasingly important skill as generative AI tools become part of workplace workflows.

The second platform takes participants into generative AI. Its Introduction to Generative AI module covers the fundamentals of large language models (LLMs) along with responsible AI guidelines. The fourth module, Generative AI Leader, focuses on workflow automation and the strategic use of generative AI for organisational transformation.

The completion numbers indicate that while the initiative has attracted a sizeable pool of participants, progression through the full curriculum remains limited at this stage. Of the 60,253 people who have applied or enrolled for Phase I, 4,620—or about 7.7%—have completed at least the first two modules, while 552—or roughly 0.9%—have completed all four modules.

The government, however, has not yet disclosed the number of participants who have enrolled in Phase II. According to the Ministry, details of the second phase, including its curriculum, modules and course duration, are still under finalisation.

Industry partners involved in curriculum development

The curriculum for the initiative has been jointly designed and developed by the Indian Institute of Creative Technologies (IICT) and private-sector partners, with the stated objective of imparting foundational and practical AI skills.

The government said the advanced skilling component is being conducted by IICT, with joint certification. The government's role has primarily been to provide strategic direction and facilitate implementation through IICT.

The programme is intended to improve AI literacy and equip students with digital skills that are relevant to industry requirements, according to the ministry's response.

The government's approach reflects the growing emphasis on AI literacy beyond specialist technology roles. Rather than limiting skilling to coding or machine-learning expertise, the Phase I curriculum covers practical applications such as productivity, data synthesis, content creation, prompt writing, large language models and workflow automation.

The inclusion of a dedicated Generative AI Leader module also signals an emphasis on organisational adoption of AI, moving beyond individual use of AI tools towards the potential transformation of workplace processes and business operations.

Completion remains the key metric to watch

The participation data also highlights the challenge of converting interest in AI skilling into sustained course completion. While more than 60,000 applications and enrolments have been recorded, fewer than 1,000 participants have completed the entire four-module Phase I curriculum as of August 12.

The government has not provided, in its response, a breakdown of applications versus confirmed enrolments, participant demographics, institution-wise participation, or reasons for non-completion. 

It has also not disclosed the findings of the needs assessment or skill-gap study that informed the programme, despite the Lok Sabha question specifically seeking details of such an assessment. The response instead focuses on the programme's objectives, curriculum and implementation structure.

The next phase of the initiative could therefore be significant in determining how the government expands AI skilling and whether the programme shifts towards more advanced capabilities. With the Phase II curriculum still being finalised, details on its modules, duration and participant base are yet to emerge.

For now, the Phase I numbers point to strong initial interest in AI training, but also underscore the challenge of ensuring that enrolment translates into completion and, ultimately, demonstrable industry-relevant skills.