IIT Madras launches digital learning initiative to reach 11,000 government schools, 11 lakh students

The Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Madras has introduced a new education technology initiative aimed at helping schools with limited digital infrastructure adopt technology-enabled learning systems. The initiative, named EduReach, has been developed by the institute’s Wadhwani School of Data Science and Artificial Intelligence (WSAI) and focuses on providing low-cost digital tools that schools can integrate gradually, according to an IIT Madras release.

IIT Madras communication said that as part of efforts to scale the initiative, EduReach has partnered with Vidya Shakti, an IIT Madras CSR programme working on last-mile edtech delivery. The institute said the solution has already been introduced in 250 schools across two states, and there are plans to expand it to around 11,000 schools, potentially reaching about 11 lakh students by the end of the current financial year.

As per the institute, the project was conceptualised to address the challenge of uneven digital infrastructure in many government and rural schools. Instead of deploying a single large platform, EduReach provides flexible and open digital components that schools can adopt based on their needs and existing facilities. The approach, the institute said, is intended to make digital learning systems easier and more affordable to implement.

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IIT Madras: EduReach to scale AI tools for public education

The initiative will also operate under the Centre of Excellence in Artificial Intelligence for Education (Bodhan AI), which has been supported by the ministry of education, government of India. IIT Madras said the platform forms part of its broader efforts to develop AI-driven tools that can support teaching and learning across public education systems.

Highlighting the vision behind the project, Mitesh Khapra, principal investigator of Bodhan AI, said the aim is to build AI-enabled solutions that can be widely adopted in public education. “The idea is to create AI tools that can scale across education systems and support both teachers and students in decision-making,” he said.

The platform includes tools for managing course content, analysing learning data and conducting digital assessments. It also enables automated question creation and allows evaluation to be embedded within educational videos, the institute said.

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Nandan Sudarsanam, who coordinates the EduReach project, said new features are being developed to improve usability. “We are working on tools that will make digital learning easier for both teachers and students to use,” he said.

IIT Madras also plans to host a workshop for educators and policymakers to demonstrate the platform and encourage its wider adoption in schools across the country, as per the release.