The Indian Institute of Mass Communication (IIMC), New Delhi, today launched the AIME Academy (AI Academy for Media and Entertainment), a major initiative aimed at strengthening AI-driven media education and capacity building in the country. The Academy was inaugurated by Sh. Chanchal Kumar, Secretary, Ministry of Information and Broadcasting, in the presence of Dr. Pragya Paliwal Gaur, Vice Chancellor, IIMC, and Dr. Manish Gupta, Sr Director, Google DeepMind India, at the IIMC campus in New Delhi. The event also celebrated the successful completion of the 10-week hybrid AI Skills Training Programme, which trained over 110 newsroom professionals, media educators and students representing more than 100 newsrooms and media colleges across 23 cities and over 10 Indian languages.
AIME Academy: An Institutional Milestone
AIME Academy is envisioned as a national centre of excellence for AI in media and entertainment. Built on a five-pillar framework capacity building, research, innovation and incubation, responsible AI policy development and strategic collaboration the Academy aims to move IIMC from traditional media training towards future-facing media capability. The Academy aims to develop India-specific training modules, support applied research on AI in journalism, document newsroom AI adoption practices, and promote responsible use of AI across the Indian media ecosystem.
IIMC, with its six centres in New Delhi, Dhenkanal, Jammu, Aizawl, Amravati and Kottayam, is uniquely positioned to build language-specific AI capacity across India. The Academy is also expected to bring Indian realities including multilingual communication, public service broadcasting, rural audiences, and democratic diversity into the global conversation on AI and media.
Certificate Ceremony: Recognising AI Skills Achievers
At the heart of the Graduation Day was the Certificate Ceremony, where participants from Doordarshan, Akashvani (All India Radio), Press Information Bureau (PIB), Publications Division and IIMC were formally recognised for completing the AI Skills Training Programme.
The programme equipped participants drawn from both government public service institutions and private newsrooms with foundational AI literacy and hands-on proficiency in Google’s AI tools, including NotebookLM, Gemini, AI Studio and Pinpoint.
Secretary’s Address: AI as an Enabler, Not a Substitute
Addressing the gathering, Secretary Sh. Chanchal Kumar congratulated all participants and underscored the transformative significance of the initiative for Indian media.
He said “Today’s occasion is not merely a certificate ceremony. It marks a larger transition in the way Indian media institutions are preparing themselves for the future. The real question before us is not whether AI will influence media; that process has already begun. The more important question is whether our journalists, editors, media educators and public communication professionals will shape AI with confidence, responsibility and an India-centric perspective.”
The Secretary emphasised that India’s public service media institutions Doordarshan, Akashvani, PIB and Publications Division carry a unique responsibility for communication at scale, across languages and geographies, making their AI readiness especially vital. He stressed that:
“AI may be used as an assistant, but not as a substitute for editorial responsibility. It may improve speed, but not at the cost of accuracy. It may support creativity, but not at the cost of authenticity. The role of human judgement will become even more important in the AI age.”
The Secretary also outlined the Government’s broad approach to AI as “positive, enabling and responsible”, anchored in Prime Minister’s national direction of ‘Make AI in India’ and ‘Make AI Work for India’.
About the AI Skills Training Programme
The Google News Initiative AI Skills Programme was a 10-week hybrid programme launched by IIMC in partnership with Google and with training support from How India Lives. It brought together participants from across print, digital, broadcast, regional and local newsrooms, covering both private and government sectors.
Key Programme Highlights:
• 110+ participants from 23 cities and 10+ languages
• 100+ newsrooms, media colleges and public communication institutions
• 40+ hours of AI training and 1:1 mentoring per participant
• 170+ AI-powered projects and published work
• 50+ vibe coding applications (apps built by participants)
• Campus outreach across 6 IIMC centres nationwide
