MSDE partners with Meta for AI Assistant for Skill India Mission

The Ministry of Skill Development & Entrepreneurship (MSDE) has joined forces with Meta, Facebook's parent company, to launch two key initiatives aimed at advancing India's skill development efforts: an AI Assistant for the Skill India Mission and the establishment of five Centers of Excellence (CoEs) in Virtual Reality (VR) and Mixed Reality (MR).

As part of this collaboration, an innovative AI-powered chatbot will be developed using Meta’s open-source Llama model.

The chatbot is designed to enhance the learner experience on the Skill India Digital (SID) Portal by offering personalized and interactive support. 

Fostering collaborative e-governance

By opening up Meta’s AI models to India's AI ecosystem, the initiative aims to foster a collaborative e-governance framework. The approach seeks to drive the adoption of impactful AI solutions, with the potential to accelerate large-scale socio-economic transformation in alignment with India’s AI Mission.

In addition, the five Centers of Excellence will be established at National Skill Training Institutes (NSTIs) in Hyderabad, Bengaluru, Jodhpur, Chennai, and Kanpur.

These centres will provide learners and instructors with cutting-edge VR technology, enabling them to develop and refine skills in a safe, immersive, and engaging environment.

Streamlining information access

The partnership on AI assistant aims to streamline information access, improve learning outcomes, and provide students with seamless support through an intuitive digital interface.

The 5 CoEs will also provide realistic simulations, improve engagement, and increase accessibility to skill development training.

"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," said Jayant Chaudhary, Minister of State (Independent Charge) for Skill Development & Entrepreneurship.

"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," said Shivnath Thukral, Vice President and Head of Public Policy, Meta India.

Sarvam AI to deploy chatbot

Sarvam AI, the technical partner for the AI assistant project, will develop and deploy the chatbot, which will be piloted over a six-month period.

The chatbot, which will be integrated into the 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.

It will be available over WhatsApp in English, Hindi, and Hinglish, along 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 chatbot will also provide valuable analytics to the MSDE to further optimize the platform.

Further, Skillveri, the technical partner for establishing the CoEs, will provide cutting-edge VR and MR resources, curriculum, and trained professionals to equip learners and instructors with the latest technology, enabling immersive and interactive learning experiences.