Prime Highlights
- Wadhwani AI’s report outlines a roadmap to integrate AI into India’s public education system through inclusive and scalable solutions.
- The report estimates AI-enabled education could add about $2.6 trillion to India’s GDP by 2047 while improving learning and job readiness.
Key Facts
- Wadhwani AI is an independent non-profit organisation that develops artificial intelligence solutions for large-scale social impact sectors, including education and healthcare.
- India’s public education system serves nearly 250 million students across 1.5 million schools, with around 60% studying in government or government-aided institutions.
Background
Wadhwani AI, along with The Bridgespan Group, put out a report that points to how artificial intelligence can and is reinforcing India’s public education system. According to the report, an approach is outlined for scaling up AI adoption and ensuring inclusion, improved learning outcomes, and impact.
The report states that the Indian education sector serves almost 250 million students in 1.5 million schools, with around 60 per cent of the learners being enrolled in government or government-aided schools. The report further states that reforms through the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020 and developments like the expansion of DIKSHA and NDEAR platforms make for a strong base for scaling up AI adoption.
According to the report, AI can improve education by increasing access for students facing language, social or economic barriers, supporting personalised learning and helping students prepare for employment through better career guidance and skill development.
Wadhwani AI Head Shekar Sivasubramanian said AI alone cannot transform education and must work alongside teachers, strong systems, quality data and responsible safeguards to deliver results at scale.
The report projects that AI-enabled education will add up to $2.6 trillion to India’s GDP by 2047 and improve economic growth each year by about one percentage point. It also talks about some of the earlier AI efforts, such as over 27 million assessments of oral reading with an enrollment of 8.5 million students.
The report identifies seven priority areas, including personalised learning, teacher support, multilingual education, early childhood learning, career guidance, skill development and socio-emotional learning. It says these initiatives could reach up to 350 million learners through collaboration among governments, technology partners, civil society and philanthropy.
