Back-to-school season is a reminder that learning is a lifelong process, especially as AI reshapes how people create, communicate and work. In India, where the future of education and work is increasingly being shaped by digital transformation, creative fluency and AI literacy are becoming essential skills for the next generation.
Expanding access to the skills needed to participate in an AI-powered economy is critical to unlocking opportunity. That vision is the core of Adobe Digital Academy: empowering people everywhere with the creative, digital and AI skills they need to thrive in today's economy. We believe AI should amplify talent, not replace it—and that starts with equipping people with the skills to harness its potential.
So far this year, we’ve made great strides toward our goal of reaching 30 million learners globally by 2030. We expect to reach 3 million learners this year alone, and we continue to grow and scale our impact by partnering with nonprofits and leading online learning platforms to bring free skills education, resources, and tools directly to learners around the world. Behind every number is a person investing in their future, whether they’re exploring generative AI for the first time, building a digital portfolio, or pursuing a new career path.
Here are a few of the ways we're expanding access to creative, digital, and AI skills in India.
Scaling Global Impact Through Strategic Partnerships
Strategic partnerships are the cornerstone of how we scale access and meet people where they are. By collaborating with world-class organizations, nonprofits, and educational platforms, we can tailor our curriculum to local needs and build clear pathways to real-world opportunity.
A prime example of this collaborative model is our expanded global partnership with UNICEF. Building on our work together over the past year supporting young learners through UNICEF's Generation Unlimited (GenU), we’ve helped nearly 400,000 young people in India access creative and AI-enabled digital skills, with more than 375,000 completing Adobe’s Design Fundamentals with AI course. Together, we’ve integrated this learning into existing education and skilling systems, helping expand access for young people from underserved communities.
Adobe is proud to now serve as the inaugural partner of Generation Unlimited's new Creative Academy, expanding our work with UNICEF.
Together, Adobe and UNICEF’s GenU are working to close the creative economy skills gap and prepare young people for a digital-first future. Through this partnership, we’re leveraging our collective expertise to adapt Adobe Digital Academy curriculum to local contexts and market needs, equipping young people with in-demand digital and AI-augmented creative skills.
With an initial focus on dedicated programs in India, the initiative is designed to open pathways to employment and entrepreneurship. By combining job-relevant skills training with market alignment, we’re helping young people build creative confidence, access sustainable livelihoods and thrive in the modern workforce.
“Young people everywhere are already creating, solving problems, telling stories, imagining futures for themselves and their communities. What too many lack is the bridge from that talent to a livelihood," said Nadi Albino, Acting CEO of UNICEF Generation Unlimited. "With Adobe as the inaugural partner to Generation Unlimited's Creative Academy, we are building that bridge: pairing creative and AI skills to work, to earn, to build a venture. Because young people should not simply enter the creative economy. They should shape it and design a future on their own terms."
Bringing Digital Creativity and AI Skills to Indian Schools
In addition to its work with UNICEF, Adobe is also separately partnering with state governments across Delhi, Uttar Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Goa, Assam, Bihar and Tamil Nadu to bring digital creativity and AI skills into thousands of government schools. The initiative expands Adobe’s K–12 reach in India to 7.8 million students and teachers nationwide, providing access to Adobe Express for Education alongside Adobe Digital Academy curriculum focused on creative problem-solving, digital storytelling and AI-assisted content creation. By equipping both students and teachers with future-ready skills and tools, we’re helping integrate digital creativity into everyday learning and prepare the next generation for opportunities in India’s growing creative and digital economy.
More Ways to Learn, Wherever You Are
Scaling access also means giving people more ways to learn wherever they are. Adobe Digital Academy coursework is available across Coursera, LinkedIn Learning, YouTube and now IBM SkillsBuild, giving learners more ways to build relevant skills at their own pace and on platforms that work for them.
Through IBM SkillsBuild, learners can access Adobe Digital Academy content through either self-paced courses or Guided Learning Experiences (GLEs). Self-paced courses offer the flexibility to learn independently on your own schedule, while GLEs provide a structured, six-week cohort experience with facilitator support, peer interaction, and hands-on activities. Both pathways enable learners to build career-relevant skills and earn digital credentials.
Building Skills for India’s AI-Powered Future
As AI continues to reshape the workforce, building AI literacy and creative skills is becoming increasingly important across industries and roles. Adobe Digital Academy is continuing to expand its curriculum to reflect the skills today’s job market demands most—from AI-powered creativity to digital marketing and content creation.
One example is AI Essentials for Marketers, a joint global initiative with LinkedIn. With LinkedIn Economic Graph data showing that marketing job postings requiring AI skills have increased 113% year-over-year, the program offers free, short-form LinkedIn Learning courses in 47 languages covering digital marketing, content creation, social media and data analytics. Learners can build practical AI literacy, explore agentic workflows and earn shareable certifications that demonstrate their skills.
For India’s students, educators, young professionals and aspiring creators, access to these skills can help open new pathways to learning, employment and entrepreneurship.
Learn What’s Next, On Your Terms
Building new skills is one of the most powerful investments people and organizations can make in what comes next. Whether you’re exploring a new career path, adding skills to your toolkit or simply curious about where creativity can take you, there are more ways than ever to keep learning, creating and growing.
As India continues to embrace an AI-powered future, ensuring that people have the skills and tools to participate in that future will be critical. Through Adobe Digital Academy and its partnerships across education and skilling, Adobe is working to make creative, digital and AI skills more accessible—helping learners not only adapt to change, but shape what comes next.
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