10 Lakh Indians to Receive Free AI Training Under Digital India Initiative: Ashwini Vaishnaw

New Delhi: Union Minister for Electronics and IT, Ashwini Vaishnaw, has announced that 10 lakh individuals across India will be provided free Artificial Intelligence (AI) training under the government’s push for digital empowerment. The announcement was made during the 10 Years of Digital India celebration held at Yashobhoomi Convention Centre in the capital.

10 Years of Digital India Celebrated

The event was organized by Common Service Centre (CSC) e-Governance Services India Limited, a special purpose vehicle under MeitY (Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology). It marked a decade of the Digital India initiative, which was launched in 2015 by Prime Minister Narendra Modi to bridge the digital divide and promote inclusive governance.

In his keynote speech, Vaishnaw hailed the Village Level Entrepreneurs (VLEs) who are playing a vital role in delivering government services to remote corners of the country. Highlighting the impact of UPI, he said, “When the world doubted that a tea seller or vegetable vendor could make digital payments, India proved them wrong.”

The Minister lauded VLEs like Manjulata from Mayurbhanj, Odisha, and Rose Angelina from Meghalaya, for using digital tools to transform lives in underserved areas.

Era of AI: Capacity Building at Scale

Union Minister of State for Electronics & IT, Jitin Prasada, underlined the need to adapt to evolving technologies like Artificial Intelligence, emphasizing the importance of cybersecurity, skill development, and inclusive growth.

“We are in the era of AI. It is essential to ensure that our people are equipped with the right knowledge to benefit from it,” Prasada noted. He suggested enhancing VLE capabilities and allowing them to deliver state-level services for increased income and reach.

CSC: The Digital Backbone of Rural India

Managing Director & CEO of CSC SPV, Sanjay Rakesh, shared that with over 5.5 lakh CSCs operational, citizens no longer need to visit cities to access essential government services.

Services delivered through CSCs include:

• Aadhaar and PAN card services
• Telemedicine and healthcare
• Financial and insurance products
• Skill training, agriculture support, and legal aid
• eCommerce via Grameen eStore

Comparing figures from 2014 to 2025, Jitin Prasada highlighted the exponential rise in CSCs — from around 83,000 in 2014 to over 5.5 lakh in 2025. Over 74,000 women VLEs are leading digital change at the grassroots.

Vaishnaw mentioned that CSC centres now reach nearly 90% of Indian villages, and proposed integrating them with IRCTC services and state IT agencies for wider service access.

The CSC Day 2025 was celebrated nationwide between July 1 and 16, with state-level events and top-performing VLEs being felicitated. In Delhi, the main celebrations took place at Bharat Mandapam and Yashobhoomi with the participation of IT Secretaries from all states who discussed rural development and digital inclusion.

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