The Maharashtra School Education Department signed a Letter of Intent with Google for Education on 19 June 2026 to provide free artificial intelligence and digital technology training to more than 4 lakh teachers across the state over the next 18 months. The agreement was signed at Mantralaya in Mumbai in the presence of School Education Minister Dadaji Bhuse. The initiative aims to build AI literacy and digital competencies among teachers in government-run and aided schools, aligning with the goals of the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020.
What the Partnership Entails
The LoI was signed by Chris Phillips, Vice President of Google for Education, and Tahsildar, Joint Secretary in the School Education Department. Minister of State for School Education Pankaj Bhoyar said the department wanted teachers in government-run and aided schools to receive training from a globally recognised institution.
School Education Minister Dadaji Bhuse confirmed that the entire training programme will be delivered free of cost by Google, with no financial burden on the state government. Maharashtra will retain full control over the implementation process while ensuring digital safety and data security for teachers.
The initiative targets more than 4 lakh teachers from government and government-aided schools across Maharashtra, which has the fourth-largest school network in India. According to UDISE+ 2024-25 data, the state has 1,08,250 schools with over 7.47 lakh teachers serving 2.12 crore students.
How the Master Trainer Model Works
The programme follows a cascade model of training to achieve scale. In the first phase, selected master trainers will undergo specialised instruction through the Google AI Educator Series, a mobile-first training programme designed to teach core AI concepts, critical thinking skills, and responsible use of AI tools. These master trainers will then lead capacity-building sessions for teachers across the state, with the goal of reaching every government and aided school in Maharashtra.
The Google AI Educator Series was first launched in the United States and expanded to India in May 2026 at the Education World Forum in London. The training is built around short, non-sequential micro-sessions that fit into a teacher’s busy schedule. K-12 sessions are designed to take 10 to 15 minutes each, covering a single classroom-ready use case. Each session concludes with a quiz and a digital badge upon completion.
The training is divided into three categories: Foundational Understanding, which covers basic AI concepts and principles; Pedagogical Applications, which focuses on using AI tools for lesson planning, content creation, and differentiated instruction; and Administrative Applications, which helps teachers automate routine tasks such as drafting communications and generating feedback.
Training Content and Languages
Teachers will receive hands-on training in using Google’s AI tools, including Gemini for Education and NotebookLM. Gemini helps educators with lesson planning, content generation, and classroom support, while NotebookLM enables them to create citation-backed learning resources from their own materials. The curriculum also covers prompt crafting, automated differentiation, and the AAA Evaluation Framework for assessing AI-generated content.
To ensure accessibility across Maharashtra’s diverse linguistic landscape, the training content will be fully localised and delivered in Marathi, Hindi, and English. This multilingual approach allows teachers from regional-language schools to participate effectively. At the national level, the Google AI Educator Series is being offered in six Indian languages, with plans for further expansion.
NEP 2020 and the Push for Digital Education
The partnership directly supports the vision of the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020, which places teachers at the centre of educational reform. Chapter 23 of NEP 2020 emphasises the use of technology to improve teaching-learning processes, support teacher preparation and professional development, and enhance educational access. The policy also calls for creating a National Educational Technology Forum (NETF) to facilitate the adoption of technology in education.
A key provision of NEP 2020 is the requirement for every teacher to undergo at least 50 hours of Continuous Professional Development (CPD) every year. This training with Google can contribute significantly towards meeting that requirement. The policy also encourages the use of platforms such as DIKSHA and SWAYAM for online teacher training. In May 2026, NCERT and CIET launched a dedicated professional development course titled “AI in Education: Empowering Educators for a Future-Ready India” on the DIKSHA portal in collaboration with Google for Education.
The Maharashtra initiative is one of India’s largest public-sector AI upskilling efforts targeting school teachers. It builds on Google’s broader commitment to train educators across India, with similar partnerships already announced with the governments of Chhattisgarh, Assam, the Union Territory of Ladakh, and the Punjab School Education Board.
Maharashtra’s Growing Focus on AI in School Education
This partnership is part of a broader push by the Maharashtra government to embed AI and digital technologies across its school education system. In March 2026, the state announced plans to introduce AI-enabled classrooms in nearly 80,000 government schools in collaboration with the Sampark Foundation, with an investment of ₹42 crore. An AI-driven real-time classroom observation and administration system will allow education authorities at district, block, and school levels to monitor engagement and track student performance.
In February 2026, Maharashtra became the first state to implement an AI-enabled tool for Anganwadi educators at scale. The Shiksha Saathi tool, a multilingual WhatsApp-based AI assistant developed by Rocket Learning in collaboration with OpenAI, supports early childhood care and education for children below the age of six.
The state has also established AI Learning Labs in select schools through a partnership with HP India, chosen under the Maha AI Mission which aims to build foundational AI understanding among 3 lakh students over five years. In June 2026, Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis inaugurated the IDEAL Centre at a Zilla Parishad school in Panvel, a facility equipped with computers, interactive whiteboards, and offline-capable educational software.
The Maharashtra State Board of Secondary and Higher Secondary Education (MSBSHSE) is also piloting digital transmission of question papers and AI-assisted evaluation of answer sheets during its supplementary examinations, marking a shift toward technology-driven examination management.
Key Takeaways
- The Maharashtra School Education Department signed an LoI with Google for Education on 19 June 2026 to train more than 4 lakh teachers in AI and digital technology over 18 months.
- The programme follows a master trainer model, where selected trainers receive specialised instruction through the Google AI Educator Series and then train teachers across the state at no cost to the government.
- Training content will be localised in Marathi, Hindi, and English and covers Google’s AI tools including Gemini for Education and NotebookLM.
- The initiative aligns with NEP 2020, which mandates at least 50 hours of Continuous Professional Development (CPD) for teachers every year and emphasises technology integration in education.
- Maharashtra’s broader AI push includes AI-enabled classrooms in 80,000 schools, the Shiksha Saathi AI assistant for Anganwadi educators, and the Maha AI Mission targeting 3 lakh students.
