NEW DELHI— Google has launched the Google News Initiative (GNI) AI Skills Academy in India, in collaboration with the Indian Institute of Mass Communication (IIMC), the tech giant announced on Monday. The new program aims to equip Indian newsrooms and journalism educators with essential AI knowledge and tools to succeed in an increasingly AI-driven media landscape.
“Continuing our commitment to working with news organizations across India and bringing them Google’s best-in-class technology, we’re excited to launch the Google News Initiative AI Skills Academy in collaboration with the Indian Institute of Mass Communication’s Department of New Media,” Google said in a statement.
The academy will offer a 10-week hybrid training program tailored to help media professionals and educators gain a foundational understanding of artificial intelligence and learn to apply it in practical newsroom scenarios. Participants will be trained to use Google’s suite of AI tools—including NotebookLM, Gemini, AI Studio, and Pinpoint—to improve newsroom workflows, boost productivity, and enable more innovative, in-depth storytelling.
The initiative is being rolled out in academic partnership with IIMC and training support from data intelligence platform How India Lives. The program will include weekly deep-dive sessions, hands-on exercises, dedicated mentoring, and collaborative problem-solving.
In addition to training working journalists, Google will also support IIMC in training media educators and students across its six campuses in India.
“This collaboration marks a significant step toward empowering media professionals and educators with the AI skills needed to stay ahead in the digital age,” said Nimish Rustagi, Registrar at IIMC. “As AI transforms journalism, this initiative will promote responsible innovation and enhance creativity in storytelling. We’re proud to help train the next generation of media professionals across our campuses.” (Source: IANS)
