Adobe partners with seven states to bring free Express access to government schools

Adobe has partnered with the governments of Delhi, Uttar Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Tamil Nadu, Bihar, Assam and Goa to provide free access to Adobe Express for Education across thousands of government schools, expanding its K-12 reach in India to 7.8 million students and teachers.

Adobe said the initiative will provide students and teachers with access to Adobe Express, its digital content creation platform, along with learning resources focused on digital creativity and AI skills. The programme will cover areas including creative problem-solving, digital storytelling and AI-assisted content creation.

The initiative is being rolled out through Memorandums of Understanding signed with the seven state governments. It will also extend to school networks including PM SHRI schools, CM SHRI schools, Kasturba Gandhi Balika Vidyalayas and Kendriya Vidyalaya Sangathan.


Adobe said teachers will receive training on using digital creativity tools in classroom teaching, while students will be able to use Express for school projects and other creative work.

The programme is being positioned alongside India's National Education Policy, which calls for greater use of digital tools and emerging technologies in education. Adobe said the initiative is also aligned with the government's broader focus on developing skills for the digital economy.

"Through this partnership, we're bringing classroom-ready AI tools like Adobe Express directly into schools, helping students and educators develop the creative and AI skills they need for the future of work," said Mala Sharma, Global Vice President and General Manager, Education, Adobe.

The company's latest move builds on earlier efforts to expand access to its tools among Indian students. At the India AI Impact Summit earlier this year, Adobe announced free access to applications including Firefly, Photoshop and Acrobat for students through accredited higher education institutions in India.

Adobe has also partnered with NASSCOM FutureSkills Prime, a digital-skilling initiative run in collaboration with the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology, to provide learners with access to courses and certification programmes.

The company said its K-12 education programme now reaches 7.8 million students and teachers across India, with plans to expand the initiative to more schools and states.

The announcement also comes ahead of Adobe's next major product cycle. The company is expected to unveil new product updates and AI capabilities at its annual Adobe MAX conference in Miami in November. ET Digital will be on the ground at Adobe MAX to cover the announcements and report on the company's next phase of its AI and creative software strategy.

Adobe has operated in India since 1997, when it established an engineering and R&D centre. The company now has more than 8,000 employees in the country and recently opened its seventh Indian office in Noida.