As conversations around AI dominate boardrooms and policy tables, the real question remains—how do we translate this technological leap into opportunity for India’s underserved youth? Magic Bus India Foundation is attempting just that through its AI-powered skilling curriculum, launched under the Connect with Work programme.
Designed for first-generation technology users, this initiative doesn’t just teach tools—it builds confidence, context, and the critical thinking needed to use AI meaningfully. At a time when India is racing to build the world’s largest digitally skilled workforce, such interventions are not just timely—they’re vital.
In this conversation, Mr. Arun Nalavadi, Chief of Programmes – Livelihood at Magic Bus India Foundation, unpacks how the programme was built, the challenges of bringing AI to the grassroots, and what it will take to truly democratize the future of work.
Because the future of skilling isn’t just about access to technology—it’s about who gets to shape it.
Scroll down to know more.
Q&A
Q. Magic Bus has been at the forefront of enabling youth from underserved communities to transition into sustainable livelihoods. Could you walk us through the journey that led to the launch of the AI-powered skilling curriculum under the Connect With Work programme?
A. At Magic Bus India Foundation, our core belief has always been that youth from underserved communities possess immense potential, they simply need access to the right opportunities and support systems to thrive. Our starting point was a simple but powerful question: “How can we make AI accessible, relevant, and actionable for them so that they have sustainable livelihoods?” That question has shaped every module, activity, and tool we have integrated, ensuring the curriculum is practical, inclusive, and future-focused.
As we engaged more deeply with the changing dynamics of the job market, it became increasingly clear that Artificial Intelligence (AI) is no longer a niche skill. It is fast becoming foundational and thereby shaping entry-level tasks, workplace decision-making, and communication across industries.
This insight led to the development of the AI-powered skilling curriculum under our Connect With Work (CWW) programme to build India’s future-ready workforce, where they can transition seamlessly into the world of AI at their workplaces. Designed for graduates from underserved communities, this initiative equips them with foundational knowledge and practical AI skills, which enhances their employability in an evolving job market increasingly driven by automation and artificial intelligence.
The Connect With Work (CWW) Programme is a college-based skilling initiative that equips youth with transferable life and employability skills by integrating personal, professional, and future-readiness training for the modern workforce. Building on this foundation, the AI-CWW programme introduces youth to AI tools and their practical applications, helping them improve productivity and efficiency in their jobs without requiring deep technical expertise. The vision of the AI-CWW programme is to prepare youth for an AI-integrated, future-ready workplace, thereby building their agency.
Q. How does the curriculum ensure that youth with limited digital exposure can meaningfully engage with AI tools and apply them effectively in real-world job roles?
A. The curriculum is built on a “tech-for-first-timers” philosophy, ensuring that youth with limited digital exposure can confidently engage with AI tools and apply them in real-world job roles. At the same time, we have included components like mastering the art and science of prompt engineering, which lies at the heart of AI literacy.
The AI-CWW programme offers a structured, hands-on learning experience that introduces youth to key AI concepts and practical applications. This includes foundational knowledge of AI technologies, an understanding of AI ethics and responsible use, and training in AI-powered workplace tools such as chatbots, prompt engineering, language translation, and productivity applications. In addition, participants receive job-readiness training that covers mentorship, sector-specific orientation, interview preparation, and placement in customer-centric roles. The programme also offers post-placement support to ensure long-term employment retention and sustained career growth.
We use visual aids, mobile-based tools, and scaffolded activities to support progressive learning. For instance, a participant might begin by generating a resume prompt on ChatGPT, and over time, progress to creating their own video resumes using AI applications. Everything aims at consciously embedding AI into the workplace.
Q. What role does mentorship and post-placement support play in ensuring that young professionals not only adopt AI tools but also grow with them in the workplace?
A. At Magic Bus India Foundation, we view a youth’s first job not as the finish line, but as the starting point for long-term growth, and that’s where mentorship and post-placement support become critical.
AI is not a one-time skill; it evolves constantly. Our facilitators and post-placement teams ensure that learners continue to apply what they’ve learned whether it’s drafting professional emails using ChatGPT or leveraging Canva Sheets to manage customer data in retail environments.
Structured mentorship plays a key role in building not just digital confidence, but emotional readiness too. It creates a safe space for young professionals to experiment, make mistakes, and grow. This ongoing guidance helps them move from simply using AI tools to developing true fluency, an essential step for thriving in a tech-enabled workforce.
Q. Are there any early measurable outcomes from this initiative that demonstrate its impact on employability or workplace performance?
A. We are already witnessing promising shifts in learner engagement and digital confidence. Participants who had never interacted with AI tools are now using content generators to build presentations, confidently experimenting with GenAI platforms for image creation, and even pitching their own AI-based ideas. These early indicators reflect not just tool adoption, but a growing sense of curiosity and capability among first-time tech users.
In the coming months, we will be evaluating the curriculum’s impact through pre- and post-assessments, facilitator insights, youth reflections, and employer feedback. Our focus is on capturing both tangible outputs, like AI-generated resumes or project submissions and the deeper outcomes: confidence, adaptability, and meaningful contributions in job roles across retail, ITeS, logistics, BFSI, and QSR sectors, where AI is rapidly becoming an everyday enabler.
Q. Since responsible use is a key part of AI adoption, how does the programme address ethical considerations for first-time users of such technology?
A. We have to acknowledge that the underserved communities are at a higher risk of being vulnerable to digital malpractices owing to their socio-demographic conditions. And to this end, responsible AI use is central to our approach, especially for first-time users who may not yet fully grasp the ethical complexities of digital tools. Rather than treating ethics as a standalone topic, we have embedded it throughout the curriculum. Participants learn how AI can perpetuate biases or stereotypes and engage in real-life scenarios where they debate and reflect on these challenges. One of the core activities involves learners drafting their own “Rules for Ethical AI Use,” helping them internalize principles around fairness, transparency, and accountability.
We also address critical issues like misinformation, digital safety, and data privacy, ensuring youth learn how to use AI tools and navigate them responsibly and thoughtfully in both professional and personal contexts. We want to ensure that the tools we create for our youths are a testament to our commitment to make AI equitably accessible for the masses.
Q. Collaborations are key to creating systemic change. How are you engaging with corporates, government bodies, academic institutions, and tech partners to amplify the impact and reach of this AI skilling initiative?
A. We believe that equipping youth for the future workforce, especially in emerging areas like AI, requires a collaborative, ecosystem-driven approach. At Magic Bus, we actively partner with corporates to stay aligned with evolving job roles and ensure our curriculum reflects real-world expectations. Our tech partners play a vital role in providing tool access, product orientation, and supporting responsible innovation. We are also exploring academic collaborations to bring AI exposure to non-STEM learners, ensuring inclusiveness in digital skilling.
On the policy front, we are engaging with government bodies to adapt and scale the programme to regional contexts. These partnerships are critical to future-proofing our approach and ensuring our curriculum is industry-relevant, accessible, and aligned with national skilling priorities.
Q. How do you envision non-technical graduates leveraging AI skills in industries like retail, BFSI, QSR, or logistics—sectors not traditionally associated with tech-heavy roles?
A. AI is no longer limited to traditional tech roles; it’s becoming an enabler across frontline industries. At Magic Bus, we are helping non-technical graduates recognize how AI can simplify and elevate everyday tasks in important sectors like retail, BFSI, logistics, and QSR. Whether it’s a sales associate using AI to manage inventory, a BFSI field officer creating instant summaries, or a QSR team lead optimizing shift schedules, these are practical, real-world applications.
Our curriculum includes tool demos and job-role mapping to demystify AI, making it accessible and relevant. The goal is not just to help youth keep pace with change, but to empower them to lead it.
Q. What kind of training or support do your facilitators receive to effectively deliver the AI curriculum, especially in regions with varying levels of digital fluency?
A. We equip our facilitators not just to teach AI but to model digital confidence and curiosity. Our trainers come from a wide range of geographies, including rural and semi-urban areas. To ensure they can deliver the AI curriculum effectively across varying levels of digital fluency, we provide them with continuous support through:
• Structured Training of Trainers (ToT) programmes focused on both content and pedagogy
• Detailed trainer manuals, demo guides, and instructional videos
• Ongoing mentorship and dedicated digital practice spaces
This ecosystem helps facilitators grow alongside their learners, thereby bridging the digital divide with empathy, adaptability, and hands-on learning.
Q. Scalability in mind, how do you plan to adapt the AI curriculum to suit regional job markets, industry needs, and diverse linguistic and socio-economic contexts across India?
A. India’s diversity is non-negotiable, so our curriculum isn’t rigid. To suit diverse socio-economic, linguistic, and industry contexts, we are actively working on:
• Embedding regional use cases and examples to make learning locally relevant and relatable
• Encouraging the use of native languages during activities to bridge comprehension gaps and foster deeper engagement
• Offering sector-specific modules that help learners visualize how AI applies to roles in retail, BFSI, logistics, and more
• Introducing Indian-origin AI tools—particularly those designed for social good—to showcase relatable innovation
This approach ensures that AI is not perceived as a distant or elite technology, but as a practical tool for everyday problem-solving and opportunity creation.
Q. In the rapidly evolving world of work, how do you ensure that Magic Bus’s interventions don’t just prepare youth for today’s jobs but equip them to adapt and thrive in jobs that don’t yet exist?
A. At Magic Bus India Foundation, our focus goes beyond job readiness, we aim for future readiness. We understand that many of the jobs our youth will pursue tomorrow do not exist today. That is why our interventions are designed to build strong foundational mindsets alongside technical skills.
We embed transferable life and employability skills into every step of their skilling journey. For youth from underserved communities, these skills open the door to transformative opportunities. Helping them transition into sustainable livelihood fosters individual agency and leads to doubling their families’ incomes.
This economic upliftment empowers youth to make informed career and life choices, enabling them to rise out of poverty and lead dignified lives. In turn, they become role models and agents of change within their communities, creating a ripple effect of positive transformation.
By nurturing curiosity, resilience, and a growth mindset, we are not just preparing youth for jobs, we are equipping them to be lifelong learners, leaders, and innovators in a rapidly evolving world.
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