TLDR: India’s Generation Z is enthusiastically embracing the future of generative AI, as evidenced by the successful ‘Great Learning AI Challenge’. This three-day upskilling sprint mobilized over 16,000 young individuals across the nation, providing free access to more than 45 GenAI courses and fostering a national movement towards AI literacy.
In a significant stride towards accelerating Generative AI (GenAI) literacy among India’s youth, Great Learning successfully concluded the inaugural ‘The Great Learning AI Challenge’ on World Youth Skills Day. This three-day upskilling sprint, held from July 13 to 15, witnessed an overwhelming response, drawing participation from over 16,000 individuals nationwide.
The initiative provided free access to more than 45 GenAI courses through the Great Learning Academy, with certificates valued at ₹40,000. The challenge saw enthusiastic engagement from 12,000 college students representing over 200 colleges, alongside 4,000 early career professionals. Notably, 60% of the participating students hailed from Tier 2 cities, underscoring a growing awareness and demand for Generative AI skills beyond major metropolitan areas.
Aparna Mahesh, Chief Marketing Officer at Great Learning, expressed her delight regarding the initiative’s impact. “What we witnessed with The Great Learning AI Challenge was truly heartening. Gen Z is not just adapting to the AI revolution; they are leading it with passion and purpose,” she stated. Mahesh added that while the initial goal was to offer free courses, the program ignited ‘something bigger, a sense of possibility, of confidence, of being future-ready.’ She emphasized that the energy and enthusiasm from students across the country reflected a generation eager to shape India’s future in technology and innovation, transforming a learning initiative into a national movement.
The campaign, anchored by the tagline ‘Gen Z Goes GenAI — Because careers don’t start with jobs, they start with skills,’ highlighted the critical need for young professionals to acquire expertise in emerging technologies. By offering high-quality, scalable learning at no cost, the program aimed to bridge the gap between traditional education and industry expectations, thereby laying a robust foundation for India’s youth to thrive in an increasingly AI-powered world.
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Following a competitive leaderboard tracking, the top-performing institutions were recognized in two categories. In both the ‘GenAI Super Squad’ (highest number of unique participants) and ‘GenAI Masterminds’ (most course completions) categories, Sri Eshwar College of Engineering, Coimbatore, New Horizon College of Engineering, and PES University, Bangalore, secured the top three positions, respectively.
