Adobe to offer free software access to students, teachers in 7 states; 7.8 million to benefit

New Delhi, Aug 27 (IANS) US software company Adobe on Thursday announced it has partnered with seven state governments to provide free access of its Adobe Express software to nearly 7.8 million students and teachers in government schools, expanding Adobe’s K-12 reach in India.

Adobe signed memorandums of understanding (MoUs) with Delhi, Uttar Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Tamil Nadu, Bihar, Assam and Goa to provide thousands of government schools with free access to Adobe Express for Education — a digital media app designed to engage students with projects that boost learning outcomes and develop future-ready skills.

Students and teachers will also gain access to digital creativity and AI skill-building curriculum under the aegis of Adobe Digital Academy to build proficiency in creative problem-solving, digital storytelling and AI-assisted content creation.

Teachers will be trained on how to integrate digital creativity into classroom teaching, while students will use Adobe Express for school projects and creative expression, enhancing skills for future careers in India’s creative and digital industries, the company said in a statement.

“The partnership builds on Adobe’s longstanding commitment to education in India, and supports the government’s National Education Policy – which emphasises the use of digital tools and AI to help build creativity skills for future readiness – and complements the Union Budget 2026’s goal of creating two million jobs in the field of Animation, Visual Effects, Gaming and Comics (AVGC) by 2030,” said Mala Sharma, Global Vice President and General Manager, Education, Adobe.

The initiative extends to PM SHRI (flagship schools under India’s National Education Policy), CM SHRI (state-led model schools), Kasturba Gandhi Balika Vidyalayas (KGBV), Kendriya Vidyalaya Sangathan (KVS) and other government school networks, with plans to expand to additional schools and states over time.

Adobe has also partnered with NASSCOM FutureSkills Prime, a digital skilling initiative in collaboration with the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY), to offer complimentary access, industry-relevant courses and certificates to learners across India.

—IANS

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