Meta, Skill ministry to develop innovative AI chatbot for Skill India Mission
The National Skill Training Institute (NTSI) in Hyderabad, along with four other skill training centers, is teaming up with Meta. The Ministry of Skill Development & Entrepreneurship (MSDE) announced its partnership with Meta today for the launch of two key initiatives.
Meta and MSDE are collaborating on two major projects: an AI Assistant for the Skill India Mission and establishing five Centers of Excellence (CoEs) in Virtual Reality (VR) and Mixed Reality (MR) at National Skill Training Institutes (NSTIs) in Hyderabad, Bengaluru, Jodhpur, Chennai and Kanpur, according to a statement.
Jayant Chaudhary, Minister of State (Independent Charge) for Skill Development & Entrepreneurship, said, “Our mission at the Ministry is to empower India’s youth with the skills they need to thrive in today’s competitive landscape. By integrating technologies like artificial intelligence, virtual reality and mixed reality into the Skill India ecosystem, we are democratizing access to cutting-edge technologies enabling personalized learning pathways for the youth of the country. Our partnership with Meta today is a significant step towards achieving this goal.”
“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,” Shivnath Thukral, Vice President and Head of Public Policy, Meta India said.
Both partners will develop a chatbot powered by Meta’s advanced technologies, such as the Open-Source Llama model. This chatbot will be integrated into the SID Portal, offering 24/7 assistance to users. It will enable quick discovery of course information, interactive Q&A for course content, and access to lecture summaries and relevant videos for revision.
Sarvam AI has been onboarded as the technical partner for the AI assistant project. It will be responsible for the development and deployment of the chatbot, the statement added.
The chatbot will be piloted for a six-month period before it is released publicly on WhatsApp supporting English, Hindi and Hinglish languages. The AI conversational system will be equipped 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 centers, explore job listings based on location and interest, and receive tailored feedback for continuous improvement.
The Skill India Digital Portal has become a cornerstone of the nation’s skilling ecosystem, with millions of students accessing courses aimed at improving their employability.
With the launch of the AI chatbot, MSDE and Meta are taking a significant step forward in revolutionizing how students interact with course content and prepare for the future.
