In a major step towards integrating artificial intelligence into media education and journalism, the Indian Institute of Mass Communication (IIMC), New Delhi, has launched the AIME Academy (AI Academy for Media and Entertainment). The initiative aims to strengthen AI-driven media education, foster innovation, and prepare India’s media ecosystem for the rapidly evolving digital future.
The Academy was inaugurated by Chanchal Kumar, Secretary, Ministry of Information and Broadcasting, in the presence of Dr. Pragya Paliwal Gaur, Vice Chancellor of IIMC, and Dr. Manish Gupta, Senior Director at Google DeepMind India, during a special event held at the IIMC campus in New Delhi.
The launch coincided with the graduation ceremony of the 10-week AI Skills Training Programme, which successfully trained more than 110 newsroom professionals, media educators, and students from over 100 newsrooms and media institutions across 23 cities. The programme covered more than 10 Indian languages and included participants from public service media organisations such as Doordarshan, Akashvani, Press Information Bureau (PIB), and Publications Division, along with professionals from private media houses.
AIME Academy to Serve as National Centre of Excellence
The newly established AIME Academy has been envisioned as a national centre of excellence dedicated to artificial intelligence in media and entertainment. The institution will focus on developing India-specific AI capabilities while ensuring responsible and ethical adoption of emerging technologies in journalism and content creation.
The Academy will operate on five key pillars:
- Capacity building for media professionals across print, broadcast, digital, and regional-language platforms.
- Applied research and innovation to study AI adoption in newsrooms and media organisations.
- Incubation of AI-driven media projects supporting creative storytelling and data-driven journalism.
- Development of responsible AI policies aligned with India’s democratic values and linguistic diversity.
- Strategic collaborations with industry leaders and global AI partners.
With IIMC campuses located in New Delhi, Dhenkanal, Jammu, Aizawl, Amravati, and Kottayam, the Academy is expected to play a significant role in promoting multilingual communication, rural outreach, and public service broadcasting while integrating Indian perspectives into global AI discussions.
Training Programme Highlights
Participants of the AI Skills Training Programme received extensive exposure to emerging AI technologies through:
- More than 40 hours of structured AI training.
- One-on-one mentoring sessions.
- Hands-on experience with Google AI tools including Gemini, NotebookLM, AI Studio, and Pinpoint.
- Development of over 170 AI-powered projects.
- Creation of more than 50 practical media applications.
The programme was conducted under the Google News Initiative AI Skills Programme in partnership with IIMC and supported by How India Lives.
AI Should Support, Not Replace Journalism
Addressing the gathering, Chanchal Kumar stressed that while AI can significantly improve efficiency and creativity, it should never replace editorial judgement, accuracy, and accountability.
He noted that AI can serve as a powerful assistant for media professionals but must not substitute human responsibility in news production and verification. According to him, public service media institutions have a unique role in communicating with citizens at scale, making responsible AI adoption particularly important.
Kumar also highlighted the government’s approach to AI as positive, enabling, and responsible, in line with Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s vision of “Make AI in India” and “Make AI Work for India.”
Preparing Indian Media for the Future
The launch of AIME Academy marks a significant milestone in India’s efforts to modernise media education and journalism through technology. By equipping journalists, educators, and students with practical AI skills, the initiative seeks to enhance digital storytelling, newsroom productivity, content verification, and audience engagement.
As artificial intelligence increasingly reshapes the global media landscape, the Academy is expected to help Indian media professionals adapt to technological change while maintaining the highest standards of ethics, authenticity, and editorial integrity.
With this initiative, IIMC has positioned itself at the forefront of AI-enabled media education, creating a platform that combines technological innovation with responsible journalism to meet the demands of the future media ecosystem.
