IIMC launches AI academy to train Indian media professionals
The Indian Institute of Mass Communication inaugurated the AIME Academy on Friday, a new training centre designed to build AI skills across India's media sector. The academy was launched by Chanchal Kumar, Secretary of the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting, at the IIMC campus in New Delhi.
Over 110 professionals completed a 10-week hybrid training programme before the academy's launch. Participants came from newsrooms and media colleges across 23 cities, representing more than 10 Indian languages.
What the academy will do
The AIME Academy operates on five pillars: capacity building, research, innovation and incubation, responsible AI policy development, and strategic collaboration. It aims to shift IIMC from conventional media education toward skills needed in an AI-enabled newsroom.
The academy will create training modules tailored to Indian media contexts, including multilingual communication and rural audiences. It will document how newsrooms adopt AI and support applied research in journalism.
Six centres will operate across New Delhi, Dhenkanal, Jammu, Aizawl, Amravati, and Kottayam.
Training programme details
The completed 10-week programme trained staff from Doordarshan, Akashvani (All India Radio), the Press Information Bureau, and private newsrooms. Participants learned to use Google AI tools including NotebookLM, Gemini, AI Studio, and Pinpoint.
The programme was conducted by IIMC in partnership with Google and supported by How India Lives.
What officials said about the initiative
Kumar said the academy marks a shift in how Indian media prepares for AI. "The real question before us is not whether AI will influence media; that process has already begun," he said. "The more important question is whether our journalists, editors, media educators and public communication professionals will shape AI with confidence, responsibility and an India-centric perspective."
He outlined guardrails for AI use in newsrooms: "AI may be used as an assistant, but not as a substitute for editorial responsibility. It may improve speed, but not at the cost of accuracy. It may support creativity, but not at the cost of authenticity."
Kumar said human judgment becomes more important, not less, as AI tools spread through media organisations.
The Government's approach to AI is "positive, enabling and responsible," aligned with directives to make AI in India and make AI work for India, he added.
For PR and communications professionals
The academy's focus on AI for PR & Communications reflects broader industry demand. Communications teams increasingly use generative AI and LLM tools to draft copy, analyse audience sentiment, and manage multiple channels.
The programme's emphasis on responsible AI use - avoiding speed at the expense of accuracy - applies directly to communications roles where brand reputation depends on message quality.
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