TLDR: Sri Eshwar College of Engineering, New Horizon College of Engineering, and PES University have emerged as top institutions in ‘The Great Learning AI Challenge’, an initiative that saw over 16,000 participants enhance their Generative AI skills.
Bengaluru, Karnataka – July 18, 2025 – In a significant stride towards accelerating Generative AI (GenAI) literacy among India’s youth, Great Learning successfully concluded the inaugural edition of “The Great Learning AI Challenge” on World Youth Skills Day. The challenge saw remarkable participation from across the nation, with Sri Eshwar College of Engineering, Coimbatore, New Horizon College of Engineering, and PES University, Bangalore, securing top honors in both competitive categories.
The three-day upskilling sprint, held from July 13 to 15, engaged over 16,000 individuals nationwide. This included an enthusiastic response from 12,000 college students representing more than 200 colleges and 4,000 early career professionals. Participants enrolled in over 45 free GenAI courses, collectively valued at ₹40,000, offered through the Great Learning Academy. A notable highlight was the participation of 60% of students from Tier 2 cities, underscoring a growing awareness and demand for Generative AI skills beyond major metropolitan centers.
The winning institutions were determined through competitive tracking via a leaderboard across two distinct categories. In the ‘GenAI Super Squad’ category, which recognized the highest number of unique participants, and the ‘GenAI Masterminds’ category, for the most course completions, Sri Eshwar College of Engineering, New Horizon College of Engineering, and PES University consistently secured the top three positions.
Commenting on the success of the challenge, Aparna Mahesh, Chief Marketing Officer at Great Learning, stated, “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. While we did set out to offer free courses, it sparked something bigger, a sense of possibility, of confidence, of being future-ready. The energy and enthusiasm we witnessed from students across the country reflected a generation eager to shape India’s future in technology and innovation. What began as a learning initiative quickly turned into a national movement and reminded us why we do what we do. At Great Learning, we are committed to keeping this momentum alive by empowering youth with meaningful opportunities to build successful, future-ready careers in an AI-driven world.”
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Among the thousands of participants, Harshit Gajendran from New Horizon College of Engineering distinguished himself as the top individual performer, completing all 45 GenAI courses within the three-day period. The initiative was anchored by the campaign tagline ‘Gen Z Goes GenAI — Because careers don’t start with jobs, they start with skills,’ emphasizing the critical need for young professionals to build expertise in emerging technologies for future career success.
