Amazon has launched two AI Skills Vans in India as part of its Think Big initiative, reinforcing its commitment to the country’s vision for skill development and equitable access to AI education. The initiative aims to deliver foundational cloud computing and AI education directly to government school students and communities with limited access to emerging technology resources. The vans were inaugurated by Shri Jayant Chaudhary, Minister of State (Independent Charge) for Skill Development and Entrepreneurship, and Minister of State for Education, during an event in New Delhi attended by David Zapolsky, Chief Global Affairs and Legal Officer at Amazon.
The mobile AI Skills Vans will operate across Delhi/NCR and Haryana, addressing the educational gap in emerging technology for government schools. Each van is a fully equipped mobile learning lab that offers interactive, curriculum-aligned modules designed to introduce students to cloud technologies, AI fundamentals, computational thinking, and ethical AI principles, thus complementing traditional science and technology education.
By 2026, these two vans are expected to engage over 9,000 students and 100 teachers. The initiative includes a teacher training component aimed at empowering educators to integrate AI concepts into their classroom instruction, which is projected to reach an additional 100,000 students over the next five years through various educational networks and teacher-led technology clubs.
During the launch, Minister Chaudhary emphasized the importance of equipping young learners with the necessary tools and opportunities to shape their futures. He noted, “The AI Skills Van exemplifies this vision by taking foundational AI and cloud education directly to students. It is encouraging to see industry leaders like Amazon complement national skilling priorities not only through such initiatives but also through their long-term investments in India’s digital and innovation ecosystem.” He mentioned that the initiative supports national missions like Skill India and the AI Mission, ensuring that no student is left behind in building a skilled, inclusive, and innovation-driven workforce.
David Zapolsky highlighted India’s leadership in developing digital infrastructure and skilling initiatives, stating, “Supporting the Government’s vision of AI inclusion, we have committed to bringing AI education to 4 million government school students by 2030. Through initiatives such as the AI Skills Vans, we aim to combine student learning with teacher capacity building.” He added that this initiative reflects Amazon’s commitment to democratizing technology access and preparing young Indians for an AI-enabled future.
The initiative is being implemented in partnership with the Learning Links Foundation and builds on Amazon’s global Think Big Spaces program, which promotes hands-on learning through technology labs, school learning corners, and mobile innovation vans in various countries.
Amazon Web Services (AWS) has already trained over 6.2 million individuals in India in cloud skills since 2017 through programs such as AWS Skill Builder, AWS Educate, and AWS re/Start. Additionally, the Think Big Spaces program, launched in 2019, has expanded to 67 learning spaces in India, benefiting over 13,000 students, supporting more than 700 women entrepreneurs, and providing nutrition support to over 12,000 public school students to enhance learning outcomes. The company is also involved in renovating school and community infrastructure projects, including libraries and health centers.
At the recent Smbhav 2025 event, Amazon announced its intention to invest more than $35 billion across all its businesses in India by 2030, with AI-driven digitization identified as one of three strategic pillars, alongside export growth and job creation. As part of this commitment, Amazon aims to extend the benefits of AI to 15 million small businesses while providing AI education to 4 million government school students by 2030.
See also
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AI’s Growing Influence in Higher Education: Balancing Innovation and Critical Thinking
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