
Smile Foundation makes AI training mandatory for 15,000 youth annually
New Delhi, August 17, 2026: Smile Foundation has made artificial intelligence (AI)-enabled learning a mandatory component of its 21st Century Skills programme under its Skill Training and Employability Programme (STeP), as the non-profit looks to equip underserved youth with skills required for an increasingly technology-driven workplace. The AI-based learning initiative, currently operational across STeP centres in Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, Maharashtra, Delhi, Odisha, Telangana, Uttar Pradesh and West Bengal, is expected to benefit more than 15,000 young people annually. The initiative comes days after Prime Minister Narendra Modi, in his Independence Day address on August 15, announced that the government will train one crore (10 million) young people in artificial intelligence over the next year, alongside a separate plan to offer free online








