The All India Council for Technical Education (AICTE) has signed a landmark MoU with OpenAI to make artificial intelligence more accessible to students and faculty, especially in Tier-2 and Tier-3 cities. Under the agreement, OpenAI will provide 1.5 lakh free ChatGPT Go licenses for six months, beginning with a pilot launch of 5,000 licenses. The initiative also includes access to OpenAI Academy and specialized Train-the-Trainer programs to help faculty embed AI into teaching and research.
“This collaboration is a significant step towards empowering students and faculty with cutting-edge AI tools,” said AICTE Chairman Prof. Sitharam T.GG. He added that democratizing access to ChatGPT would foster innovation, critical thinking, and problem-solving skills, while urging OpenAI to extend the free license period and give priority access to institutions in smaller cities.
The MoU was formally signed by AICTE Member Secretary Prof. Shyama Rath and OpenAI India Deputy General Counsel Dan Cook. AICTE will identify participating institutions, facilitate access, and run awareness campaigns. Both parties will jointly evaluate outcomes and document case studies to measure the initiative’s impact on teaching and learning practices.
Announced at the OpenAI Education Summit in New Delhi on August 25, the partnership aligns with AICTE’s declaration of 2025 as the Year of AI. “AI is going to play a transformative role in shaping the future of education, and this initiative ensures India’s youth are prepared for the opportunities ahead,” Prof. Sitharam emphasized.
Officials noted that the program will serve as a model for integrating AI into mainstream education and preparing India’s next generation of innovators. By combining AICTE’s institutional reach with OpenAI’s technology, the partnership aims to bridge the digital divide, enabling students and faculty across smaller cities to access advanced AI tools and learning resources that were previously limited to larger urban centres.
The initiative reflects a broader effort to equip India’s youth with the skills and knowledge required to thrive in an AI-driven world, supporting both academic excellence and future workforce readiness.
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