Adobe announces free access to AI-powered creative tools for Indian students

At the India AI Impact Summit, Adobe announced an investment aimed at expanding access to its AI-powered creative and productivity tools for students in India.

It will provide applications including Firefly, Photoshop and Acrobat free of charge to students through accredited higher education institutions across the country. The offering includes access to software, curriculum, training and credentials.

The initiative aligns with the Indian government’s ‘Create in India’ vision and the Union Budget 2026 goal of creating two million jobs in the Animation, Visual Effects, Gaming and Comics (AVGC) sector by 2030.

In partnership with the government, Adobe said it will make its AI-focused tools and curriculum available free of cost to 15,000 schools and 500 colleges that will have Content Creator Labs.

Commenting on the partnership, Shantanu Narayen, Chair and CEO, Adobe, said, "Adobe is expanding the opportunity for creativity for millions of students across India, empowering them with AI skills, further accelerating Prime Minister Modi’s vision. I look forward to seeing what the students of India create with Adobe's industry-leading tools, and in doing so accelerating Viksit Bharat.”

Adobe Firefly integrates creative AI models from partners including Google, OpenAI and Runway, allowing users to generate content using different models. It added that Acrobat Pro will support productivity and collaboration tasks such as editing text and images.

As part of its broader skills development efforts, Adobe India has partnered with NASSCOM FutureSkills Prime, a digital skilling initiative in collaboration with the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology, to offer free courses and certificates to learners.

The programs are designed to prepare students for careers in sectors including graphic design, animation, gaming, marketing, media, e-commerce and technology.

The announcements were made during the India AI Impact Summit 2026, where the company participated in discussions and showcased projects, including a series of short AI films based on Indian folklore created in partnership with the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting.

Students will be able to access the offer through accredited higher education institutions.