India : Google.org, the philanthropic branch of Google, has unveiled a $4 million grant to the Central Square Foundation aimed at enhancing AI literacy among 5 million students, parents, and educators across India over the next four years. This initiative is part of Google’s broader strategy to prepare India for an AI-driven future and was announced during the 10th edition of Google for India.
In addition to the grant, Google.org is launching a Fellowship program that will enable Google employees to provide pro bono support to Rocket Learning, an Indian non-profit focused on early childhood development. This collaboration aims to develop a generative AI-powered tutor named Saheli, designed to assist children aged 3 to 6 in building foundational literacy and numeracy skills.
Advancing AI Literacy in India
The $4 million grant will fund the AI Samarth initiative, which seeks to introduce AI-focused curricula in government schools and create training modules for students, teachers, and parents. The initiative aims to empower educators to integrate AI into classrooms and equip students with the knowledge to engage with AI responsibly. Over the course of four years, the program is expected to impact more than 5 million individuals across India.
Google.org’s Commitment to AI for Social Good
Google.org’s initiatives in India are part of its larger commitment to harnessing AI for social impact. Since 2015, Google.org has contributed over $60 million in funding to Indian non-profits and provided approximately $195 million in donated products and services, including more than 70,000 volunteer hours from Google employees.
AI for Early Childhood Development
Alongside the grant, Google.org’s Fellowship program will provide pro bono assistance to Rocket Learning, helping to develop Saheli, a generative AI-powered learning companion aimed at personalizing education for young children. Rocket Learning plans to use Saheli to reach millions of underserved children in India and eventually expand the tutor’s capabilities to 20 languages globally.
