Adobe has announced that it will provide free access to its flagship tools for students who are part of accredited higher education institutions in India. The declaration took place at the India AI Impact Summit on February 19. Adobe describes the initiative as a “strategic investment” aimed at accelerating AI-driven creativity and productivity in the country.
In the announcement, Adobe highlighted that, along with providing the software, the company will also provide a curriculum to train the students on using these tools. The US-based tech giant stated that its “AI-first” offer will be available free to students at 15,000 schools and 500 colleges that have Content Creator Labs–a government initiative announced in the Union Budget 2026. The program is designed to support job creation in the Animation, Visual Effects, Gaming, and Comics (AVGC) sectors by 2030.
“Adobe is expanding the opportunity for creativity for millions of students across India, empowering them with AI skills, further accelerating Prime Minister Modi’s vision,” said Shantanu Narayen, CEO of Adobe.
The program will be implemented in partnership with NASSCOM FutureSkills Prime, a national digital skilling initiative in collaboration with the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology. This collaboration is expected to deliver free, industry-aligned courses and certifications to learners, with an emphasis on AI-first learning. Training modules will be tailored to support a wide range of sectors, from graphic design and animation to marketing and technology.
A key aspect of the program is the offering of direct access to Adobe Firefly, the company’s generative AI platform, which integrates models from leading AI partners, including Google, OpenAI and Runway.
At the India AI Impact Summit, Adobe also showcased ‘Kathvatr’, which is a series of AI-powered short films based on Indian folklore created in partnership with the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting.
The broader initiative complements the Indian government’s aim to generate two million jobs in AVGC by 2030 and serves as an extension of Adobe’s Digital Academy career pathway programs in India.
