Amaravati, Aug 16 (IANS) Andhra Pradesh tops among the States in Artificial Intelligence and Big Data Analytics skilling under the FutureSkills Prime programme.

FutureSkills PRIME is a digital skilling initiative by the National Association of Software and Services Companies (NASSCOM) and the Union Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY) that offers industry-aligned courses.

The state government said that under Chief Minister Chandrababu Naidu’s technology-led vision focus on emerging technologies, Andhra Pradesh is building a sizeable pool of future-ready talent.

According to an official release, 1,53,783 candidates in Andhra Pradesh were enrolled or trained in Artificial Intelligence and Big Data Analytics over the last three years.

Citing the Central government statistics, it said that Andhra Pradesh has scored the highest number of AI/BDA candidates completing or getting certified under FutureSkills PRIME among all states, with 1,08,895 candidates completing certification out of 1,53,783.

The figures, provided by the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology in the Lok Sabha last week, under the FutureSkills PRIME programme, offer a concrete measure of the state’s growing technology-skilling base.

The key number is not simply enrolment. More than 1.08 lakh candidates have completed or received certification, giving Andhra Pradesh a substantial pool of trained talent in two of the technologies expected to shape the next phase of the digital economy, the official release said.

The AI and Big Data numbers form part of an even larger FutureSkills PRIME footprint in Andhra Pradesh. The state has 4.34 lakh-plus candidates enrolled or trained across the programme, including 2.13 lakh-plus in AI and Big Data Analytics.

FutureSkills PRIME focuses on skilling, reskilling and upskilling in emerging technologies such as AI, Big Data Analytics, IoT, Cyber Security, Blockchain and AR/VR, with industry-aligned courses.

The programme’s national reach also underlines the scale of the opportunity. It has recorded 34 lakh-plus registrations, 23 lakh-plus enrolled/trained candidates and 13 lakh-plus completed/certified candidates, with 86 per cent of candidates coming from Tier-2 and Tier-3 cities.

For Andhra Pradesh, the significance is clear: the state is building a technology workforce beyond conventional IT skills and creating a talent pool that can support emerging AI and Quantum industries, it said.

Chief Minister Naidu has repeatedly pushed technology as an economic opportunity for the state, while IT Minister Nara Lokesh has been driving engagement around emerging technologies, investment and high-value employment.

The state’s ambitions around Visakhapatnam as a technology and AI hub and the development of Amaravati as a modern, technology-driven capital give the growing talent base a larger economic context.

–IANS

ms/vd