IIMC launches AIME Academy in New Delhi to strengthen AI-driven media education, journalism research and digital capacity building in India.
New Delhi, May 29: The Indian Institute of Mass Communication (IIMC) on Friday launched the AIME Academy — AI Academy for Media and Entertainment — as a major initiative aimed at strengthening artificial intelligence-driven media education, research and capacity building in India.
The academy was inaugurated at the IIMC campus in New Delhi by Chanchal Kumar, Secretary, Ministry of Information and Broadcasting, in the presence of IIMC Vice Chancellor Dr. Pragya Paliwal Gaur and Dr. Manish Gupta, Senior Director, Google DeepMind India. The event also marked the successful completion of a 10-week hybrid AI Skills Training Programme that trained more than 110 newsroom professionals, media educators and students from over 100 newsrooms and media colleges across 23 cities and more than 10 Indian languages.
According to IIMC, the AIME Academy has been envisioned as a national centre of excellence for artificial intelligence in media and entertainment. The academy is built around a five-pillar framework that includes capacity building, research, innovation and incubation, responsible AI policy development and strategic collaboration.
Officials said the initiative seeks to move IIMC beyond conventional media training towards future-oriented media capabilities in response to the rapidly evolving technological landscape. The academy aims to develop India-specific training modules, support applied research on AI in journalism, document newsroom AI adoption practices and promote responsible use of AI across the Indian media ecosystem.
IIMC stated that its six centres located in New Delhi, Dhenkanal, Jammu, Aizawl, Amravati and Kottayam place it in a unique position to build language-specific AI capacity across different regions of the country. The institution also noted that the academy would contribute Indian perspectives on multilingual communication, public service broadcasting, rural audiences and democratic diversity to global discussions on AI and media.
During the programme, certificates were awarded to participants who successfully completed the AI Skills Training Programme. Participants from Doordarshan, Akashvani (All India Radio), Press Information Bureau (PIB), Publications Division and IIMC were formally recognised at the ceremony. The training programme provided participants from both public service institutions and private newsrooms with foundational AI literacy and practical exposure to Google’s AI tools, including NotebookLM, Gemini, AI Studio and Pinpoint.
Addressing the gathering, Chanchal Kumar described the initiative as an important step in preparing Indian media institutions for the future. He said the key question before media organisations was not whether AI would influence journalism and communication, but whether journalists, editors and media professionals would be able to shape AI responsibly and with an India-centric approach.
The Secretary highlighted the special responsibility carried by India’s public service media institutions such as Doordarshan, Akashvani, PIB and Publications Division in communicating across languages and regions. He stressed that while AI can assist journalism and public communication, it should not replace editorial responsibility or human judgement.
“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,” he said.
He further stated that the government’s approach towards AI remains “positive, enabling and responsible” and aligned with the national vision of “Make AI in India” and “Make AI Work for India”.
The AI Skills Training Programme was organised by IIMC in partnership with Google under the Google News Initiative, with training support from How India Lives. The 10-week hybrid programme brought together participants from print, digital, broadcast, regional and local newsrooms from both government and private sectors.
According to organisers, the programme recorded participation from more than 110 individuals representing over 100 newsrooms, media colleges and public communication institutions. Participants underwent more than 40 hours of AI training and one-on-one mentoring. The programme also resulted in over 170 AI-powered projects and published works, along with more than 50 “vibe coding” applications developed by participants. Campus outreach activities were conducted across all six IIMC centres during the programme.
Officials said the initiative represents a significant step towards preparing India’s media ecosystem for the growing role of artificial intelligence while promoting ethical and inclusive use of emerging technologies.
