Centre Unveils 15,000 AI Scholarships to Power Media and Creative Industries

The Union government on Monday announced 15,000 scholarships to train young professionals in artificial intelligence (AI) for the media, entertainment, gaming and animation sectors, in a bid to strengthen skills in emerging technologies. The initiative, unveiled by the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting, will be implemented in collaboration with the Indian Institute of Creative Technologies, with support from industry partners including Google and YouTube.

According to the ministry, the programme is designed to equip participants with industry-relevant expertise in areas such as animation, visual effects (VFX), gaming and digital content creation , where AI-driven tools are rapidly reshaping production processes. The curriculum integrates advanced AI tools, creative workflows and platform-level best practices to ensure participants gain production-ready skills from the outset.

The scholarships will offer access to specialised training modules, hands-on tools and mentorship, enabling candidates to develop practical experience in AI-enabled creative fields while fostering innovation and improving employability.

The programme is expected to be open to students, recent graduates, young professionals, freelancers, and content creators from backgrounds such as media, design, animation, and computer science, as well as individuals with a demonstrated interest in AI-driven creative technologies.

Selection is likely to be based on educational background, aptitude and interest in the field , though detailed application guidelines are yet to be announced. The government said the initiative forms part of a broader push to strengthen India’s rapidly evolving media and entertainment ecosystem and support the digital economy by building a skilled workforce aligned with future industry needs.