Adobe will provide free access to its flagship creative and productivity tools including Adobe Photoshop, Adobe Acrobat, and Adobe Firefly to students across higher institutions in India.
The announcement was made at the India AI Impact Summit 2026, where the company positioned the move as part of its broader commitment to accelerating AI-driven creativity and workforce readiness in the country.
The initiative aligns with the “Create in India” Mission outlined by Union Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw earlier this week. The company said it complements the Union Budget 2026 focus on generating two million jobs in the animation, visual effects, gaming and comics (AVGC) sector by 2030.
Adobe announced it will make its AI first offer, “along with our industry endorsed curriculum, free for the 15,000 schools and 500 colleges that will have content creator labs.”
"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," said Shantanu Narayen, Chair and CEO, Adobe in a statement.
The offering provides students with access to creative AI tools that are commercially safe for use along with flexibility to work across multiple generative AI models. Adobe Firefly—the all-in-one creative AI studio that brings together the world's best creative AI models integrates the top industry models from partners such as Google, OpenAI, Runway, and more, so students can experiment with unique formats and styles. Acrobat Pro will enable students to easily edit text and images to enhance productivity and collaboration.
Adobe India has also partnered with NASSCOM FutureSkills Prime, a digital skilling initiative in collaboration with the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY), to offer free, industry-relevant courses and certificates to learners across India.
The initiative is expected to support students across key growth sectors including graphic design, video and visual effects, animation, gaming, marketing, media, e-commerce, education, and technology preparing them for the demands of modern, rapidly evolving careers.
Adobe is also showcasing 'Kathavatar', a series of five made-in-India short AI films based on Indian folklore, in partnership with the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting. The films have been created by a new generation of leading AI filmmakers and will premiere at the AI Theatre of the Ministry at the Summit.
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