Telangana's TASK, AWS to train one lakh students in AI, cloud free
By Anika SharmaAI & Innovations Editor, Peepals Tech
Representative image: vicwag / Pixabay
Telangana's skilling body TASK signed an agreement with AWS on 2 November 2026 to train one lakh students from 643 colleges in AI and cloud computing free.
What Happened
The Telangana Academy for Skill and Knowledge (TASK), the state government's skilling body, signed an agreement with Amazon Web Services (AWS) on Monday, 2 November 2026, to give one lakh college students free training in artificial intelligence and cloud computing. The programme, called the Telangana AI and Cloud Skilling Initiative, was announced at the state Secretariat in Hyderabad by D. Sridhar Babu, Telangana's Minister for IT and Industries. It will cover students of 643 colleges affiliated to TASK, and the state says neither the government, the colleges nor the students will pay anything for it.
Key Facts
- Agreement: signed between TASK and AWS on 2 November 2026 at the Telangana Secretariat, Hyderabad.
- Target: free training for one lakh (100,000) students.
- Reach: students of 643 TASK-affiliated colleges.
- Subjects: artificial intelligence, cloud computing, data engineering, machine learning and generative AI.
- Learning tools: hands-on access to the AWS Cloud Console and one year of free access to more than 900 AWS Skill Builder courses.
- Certification: discount vouchers for global certification exams.
- Beyond engineering: separate tracks for non-STEM students, including those studying arts and commerce, plus AI and cloud training for faculty.
- Jobs: TASK plans special job fairs for eligible students who complete the training, the minister said.
Why It Matters
Cloud computing means renting computing power, storage and software over the internet from a provider's data centres instead of running one's own servers. AWS, the cloud arm of Amazon, is one of the largest such providers. Artificial intelligence (AI) refers to software that performs tasks such as recognising patterns or answering questions; machine learning is the method by which such software learns from data; and generative AI is the kind that produces new text, images or code. Data engineering is the work of collecting, cleaning and moving data so that these systems can use it.
For students, the most practical parts of the package are the hands-on access and the certification vouchers. The AWS Cloud Console is the web dashboard through which engineers actually set up and run cloud services, so practising on it is closer to real work than classroom theory. Industry certifications are exams run by technology companies that test whether a person can use their platform; they give a recognised record of a skill that a student can show an employer. Exam fees can be a barrier for students, which is what the discount vouchers address.
The inclusion of arts and commerce students is notable. AI tools are now used in fields such as accounting, marketing, media and administration, not only in software engineering. Separate learning tracks for non-STEM students mean the programme is not limited to those who already study computer science or engineering. Training college teachers in the same technologies is meant to help the colleges keep teaching these subjects after the initial courses end.
The promised job fairs tie the training to hiring, though the state has not yet said which employers will take part or how many positions will be offered.
Peepals calculation: With one lakh students spread across 643 colleges, the programme works out to about 156 students per college on average (100,000 / 643 = 155.5). Our calculation from the reported figures.
| Item | Detail |
|---|---|
| Partners | TASK and Amazon Web Services |
| Students to be trained | 1,00,000 |
| Colleges covered | 643 TASK-affiliated colleges |
| Course access | 900-plus AWS Skill Builder courses for one year |
| Cost to students | None, according to the state |
Impact
Short-term: Students in TASK-affiliated colleges can expect enrolment for the AI and cloud courses to begin through their colleges, along with access to AWS learning resources and certification vouchers.
Long-term: If students complete the courses and earn certifications, more graduates from Telangana's colleges, including those outside engineering, could compete for cloud, data and AI-related jobs.
Who is affected: Students and faculty of the 643 TASK-affiliated colleges in Telangana, employers hiring for cloud and AI roles in Hyderabad and beyond, and TASK, which will run the programme.
What to watch next: The special job fairs that TASK is to hold for eligible students who complete the training.
Key Takeaway
Telangana's TASK and AWS agreed on 2 November 2026 to train one lakh students from 643 colleges in AI and cloud computing for free, with course access, certification vouchers and job fairs for those who finish.
Questions and Answers
What is the TASK-AWS AI and cloud skilling programme in Telangana?
It is an agreement signed on 2 November 2026 between the Telangana Academy for Skill and Knowledge and Amazon Web Services to train one lakh students free of cost in AI, cloud computing, data engineering, machine learning and generative AI.
Who can join the Telangana AI and cloud training?
Students of the 643 colleges affiliated to TASK. Separate tracks are planned for non-STEM students, including those in arts and commerce, and faculty will also be trained.
Do students have to pay for the course or certification?
According to the state, there is no cost to the government, colleges or students for the training. Students get a year of free access to more than 900 AWS Skill Builder courses and discount vouchers for global certification exams.
Will the training lead to jobs?
Minister D. Sridhar Babu said TASK will organise special job fairs for eligible students who complete the training. Employers and dates for these fairs have not been announced.
Disclaimer: Prepared by the Peepals newsroom from publicly available sources with AI assistance. Information is accurate to the best of our knowledge at the time of publication and may change. Images may be representative. Not professional advice. Report an error via our contact page.
By Anika Sharma, AI & Innovations EditorCovers AI & Innovation and more for Peepals Tech. All stories by Anika Sharma
Get the day's stories in your inbox
Peepals Weekly: the week decoded, free. One email a week, unsubscribe in one click.
Anika Sharma is a pen name of the Peepals Global Editorial Team, which researches, fact-checks and publishes every story. The portrait is an illustration.
