Adobe to Offer Free Software to Indian Students
Adobe CEO Shantanu Narayen announced that the company will provide its Photoshop, Acrobat, and Firefly AI software for free to students across India. The initiative is aimed at boosting skills and empowering the country's creator economy.
- The announcement was made by Adobe's CEO at the India AI Impact Summit on February 19, 2026, and is positioned as a strategic investment to boost AI-driven creativity in the country. - This initiative is a collaboration with the Indian government, aligning with the "Create in India" campaign and Prime Minister Narendra Modi's vision for a "Developed India." - The free software access will be provided to students at 15,000 schools and 500 colleges that are part of the government's "Content Creator Labs" initiative. - The program directly supports the Union Budget 2026's goal of creating two million jobs by 2030 in the Animation, Visual Effects, Gaming, and Comics (AVGC) sector. - In addition to software, the initiative includes free, industry-aligned courses and certifications offered in partnership with NASSCOM FutureSkills Prime, a digital skilling program from the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology. - The move targets India's rapidly growing creator economy, which was valued at over $12 billion in 2025 and is projected to reach nearly $50 billion by 2032. - The included Firefly AI software is designed to be "commercially safe," as it is trained on licensed Adobe Stock and public domain images, reducing copyright concerns for creators. - This builds on Adobe's previous educational efforts in India, including a 2023 partnership with the Ministry of Education to bring Adobe Express to 20 million students and 500,000 educators by 2027.
