Rural Revolution 2.0: Free AI Training for Lakhs of Village Innovators

In a historic effort to democratize digital literacy, the Indian government has announced free Artificial Intelligence training to 5.5 lakh Village Level Entrepreneurs (VLEs) in India. The move was announced by Union Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw at the 16th foundation day celebration of Common Service Centres (CSCs), which are digital service outlets in more than 90 percent of Indian villages.

Key Takeaways from IndiaAI Mission Launch

1. Scope and Size
- The training comes under the ₹10,371 crore IndiaAI Mission
- Aims to educate 10 lakh people in AI, and VLEs are to be prioritized the most
- Offers foundation and advanced modules in AI, machine learning, data analytics, and cybersecurity.

2. Empowering the Last Mile
- VLEs deal with CSCs that offer important services like Aadhaar enrollment, banking, and e-governance
- They will enhance their ability to deliver AI-powered solutions and ramp up service delivery
- The scheme will probably improve rural India's income opportunities as well as digital literacy.

3. Infrastructure and Integration
- India's national compute power is now over 34,000 GPUs backing scalable AI training
- Discussions are ongoing to consolidate state-run service centers with CSCs to enjoy joint access and additional earning possibilities

4. Ministerial Support
- Vaishnaw took personal commitment with state governments to hasten integration - Aadhaar-based work assignment of VLEs was emphasized by Minister of State Jitin Prasada.

 Sources: Economic Times, Moneycontrol, Telecom ET, Rediff Moneynews, Devdiscourse