- Reliance Foundation, Gates Foundation and Global Partners Unite to Democratise AI-Enabled Education for Underserved Students
- Flagship Initiative Launched by Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan to Make “EdTech Truly Sabka EdTech”
- Three-Pillar National Programme to Scale Proven EdTech, Accelerate Innovation and Transform Public School Classrooms
- Landmark Coalition Targets Equitable, Personalised and Evidence-Based Learning Across India by 2029
- Initiative Positions India to Lead the Global South in Affordable, Inclusive and Scalable AI-Driven Education
NE EDUCATION BUREAU
NEW DELHI, FEB 22
In a decisive step toward bridging India’s learning divide, ShikshaNext, a transformative ₹170-crore multi-partner initiative, has been launched to expand access to AI-enabled, technology-driven learning for more than 13 million children across India by 2029, with a special focus on underserved communities.
Launched in the presence of Dharmendra Pradhan, Minister of Education, and Sanjay Kumar, Secretary, Ministry of Education, the initiative represents a powerful coalition of philanthropy, government, educators, and technology innovators committed to reshaping the future of learning.
Anchored by Reliance Foundation and Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation as Founding Strategic Partners, with Central Square Foundation as Managing Partner and supported by Michael & Susan Dell Foundation, ShikshaNext combines catalytic funding, deep expertise, and rigorous implementation to unlock equitable educational outcomes at scale.
Making Technology a People’s Movement for Learning
Launching the initiative, Dharmendra Pradhan outlined the pivotal role of AI and digital tools in achieving India’s education and development goals.
“This is an important platform where Sarkar, Samaaj aur Sanstha have come together to make EdTech truly Sabka EdTech. The next step is to turn this into a Jan Andolan that ensures technology benefits every learner. India will present a model to the Global South that makes quality EdTech affordable and accessible for all.”
The initiative aligns with India’s broader vision of Viksit Bharat 2047, positioning technology and AI as essential drivers of educational empowerment, workforce readiness, and national progress.
Three Strategic Pillars to Transform Classrooms and Learning Outcomes
ShikshaNext will operate through three integrated national programmes designed to strengthen learning ecosystems:
EdTech ScaleX: Scaling proven EdTech and AI solutions that have demonstrated measurable learning gains, integrating them into state education systems and community-based programmes.
EdTech Accelerator: Supporting development, growth, and scaling of high-quality AI-enabled EdTech solutions tailored to India’s diverse classroom realities.
EdTech & AI Innovation Hub: Creating a collaborative platform to discover, test, and validate cutting-edge innovations across languages, grade levels, and learning contexts.
These programmes will be guided by rigorous research and evidence, ensuring that technology deployment delivers real learning gains rather than isolated pilot successes.
Personalised AI Tools to Unlock Every Child’s Potential
Prachi Jain Windlass, Head of India, Michael & Susan Dell Foundation, emphasised the transformative power of adaptive learning technologies.
“Students catch up and move ahead when learning adapts to their needs. Personalised, technology-enabled tools can make that possible at scale. Entering the AI era, India is building on a decade of education reforms, stronger early learning, and tools that already deliver results in classrooms. ShikshaNext takes the next step by backing proven solutions and helping public school systems use them widely, so more children succeed in school and beyond.”
Building an Inclusive, Equitable and Future-Ready Education Ecosystem
B Srinivasan, Executive Lead, Reliance Foundation, underscored the initiative’s long-term mission to ensure inclusive educational transformation.
“Reliance Foundation’s vision is simple yet profound – that every child in India should have the opportunity to fulfil their potential and realise their dreams. The rapid expansion of digital connectivity and 5G over the past decade has unlocked unprecedented possibilities to deliver quality education to every corner of our country.
We have seen that when philanthropy, government, educators, and innovators come together with shared purpose, technology in education moves beyond promising pilots to achieving measurable learning outcomes at scale. ShikshaNext represents the next step in this journey – a collaborative platform to generate rigorous evidence, strengthen partnerships, and harness the power of AI responsibly and inclusively.
Our commitment is to ensure that the next generation of AI-enabled solutions is not only innovative, but equitable – designed to serve every child, everywhere, and to truly transform India’s educational future.”
Ensuring EdTech Works Where It Matters Most: Classrooms
Benjamin Piper, Director, Global Education at the Gates Foundation, highlighted the importance of evidence-based innovation.
“When EdTech is rooted in strong pedagogy and evidence, we now know it can drive real learning gains at scale; as generative AI adds fresh momentum, initiatives like ShikshaNext can channel catalytic funding and partnerships to ensure these technologies are designed for low-resource classrooms and guided by sound teaching principles, not just technological possibility.”
Ishmeet Singh, Chief Executive Officer, Central Square Foundation, stressed the initiative’s focus on measurable classroom impact.
“As we look to the future of learning in Bharat, Central Square Foundation’s focus is on making technology work for the children who need it most; with ShikshaNext, CSF is bringing together committed partners, rigorous evidence, and learning-focused capital so that EdTech and AI translate into real, measurable gains in classrooms, not just promises on paper.”
A National Mission to Close Learning Gaps and Empower the Next Generation
The launch brought together senior policymakers, philanthropies, EdTech innovators, educators, and ecosystem partners, signalling a unified national commitment to leveraging AI and technology for educational equity.
By enabling millions of children—especially those in underserved and low-resource communities—to access personalised, technology-enabled learning, ShikshaNext aims to close learning gaps, improve foundational literacy and numeracy, and equip students with future-ready skills essential for India’s growth in the AI era.
