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Sridhar Vembu: AI is a "Massive Learning Booster" for Rural Education

Zoho co-founder Sridhar Vembu emphasized the transformative role of AI in rural education at the India AI Impact Summit. He described purpose-built AI models as crucial tools for assisting teachers and boosting student learning, particularly in foundational literacy and numeracy. Vembu highlighted how students are applying these skills to practical projects, including building small-scale electric vehicles. He also stated that India's young population is adopting AI faster than any other nation, leading to significant productivity gains in fields like software development.

Key Points: AI in Rural Education: Sridhar Vembu's Vision at India AI Summit

  • AI as a tool for grassroots education
  • Purpose-built models to help teachers
  • Students building projects like custom EVs
  • India's youth leading AI adoption
  • Focus on solving specific problems
2 min read

"AI is a massive learning booster": Sridhar Vembu on transforming rural education at India AI Impact Summit

Zoho's Sridhar Vembu champions purpose-built AI models as learning boosters for rural teachers and students, highlighting India's rapid AI adoption.

"AI is a massive learning booster. - Sridhar Vembu"

New Delhi, February 17

Zoho Corporation co-founder Sridhar Vembu on Tuesday highlighted the use of Artificial Intelligence in education, particularly for rural students. He emphasised deploying purpose-built AI models to assist teachers, boost learning, and enable students to develop practical projects, including small-scale innovations like custom electric vehicles, describing AI as a "massive learning booster."

Speaking at the India AI Impact Summit, Vembu emphasised that Zoho's initiatives are focused on grassroots education, saying that the company has "seen education from the ground up.

"We serve a predominantly rural student population, and so we have seen the education from the ground up.The FLN challenge is where I'm most excited to use AI tools: to help teachers better reach students. Teachers could use tools to help the students improve.These are purpose-built, small models that can solve a specific problem well. We encourage our students to build projects... Nowadays, we are even building small-scale, custom EVs.. Here, the way AI is working is as a massive learning booster," he said.

Addressing the broader role of AI in India, the ZOHO founder said the country's young population is uniquely positioned to embrace new technologies.

"With our vast youth population, we have the most AI-enthusiastic population in the world. We are adopting AI faster than any other nation. Our youth are at the forefront now... Right now, we are rapidly deploying AI in software development. We are seeing massive productivity gains in it... There will be new jobs created, and software engineers have to get closer to the customer and solve customer problems," he told ANI.

India is hosting the India AI Impact Summit from February 16-20 at Bharat Mandapam, New Delhi, bringing together governments, industry leaders, researchers, startups, students, and citizens from across the world. (ANI)

The India AI Impact Summit is a five-day programme anchored in three foundational pillars, or "Sutras": People, Planet, and Progress.

- ANI

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Reader Comments

R
Rohit P
Building custom EVs as student projects? That's next level! It shows AI isn't just about coding, it's about hands-on innovation. Hope this model gets replicated in government schools too. Our youth truly are enthusiastic, we just need the right tools.
A
Aman W
While the intent is good, I have a respectful criticism. Deploying AI in rural areas first requires solving basic infrastructure - reliable electricity and internet. Let's not put the cart before the horse. Focus on the fundamentals first.
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Sarah B
"Purpose-built, small models" is the key phrase. We don't always need giant LLMs. Tailored solutions for specific problems, like helping with foundational literacy and numeracy (FLN), can have immediate, massive impact. Smart approach.
V
Vikram M
As a software engineer in Bangalore, I've seen the productivity gains firsthand. But Vembu is right - the future is about getting closer to customer problems. AI is a tool, not the end goal. Excited to see this applied in education! 🚀
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Nisha Z
My sister teaches in a Zilla Parishad school. The FLN challenge is real. If AI can provide personalized learning paths for each child in a crowded classroom, it would be a blessing. Hope the government partners with such initiatives.

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