Category: Education

Bangalore, Feb 17: Kyndryl (NYSE: KD), a leading provider of mission-critical enterprise services, today announced an expanded series of social impact programs aimed at advancing AI skills among students, civil servants and youth in India through inclusive training and capability-building initiatives.

The programs are part of Kyndryl’s long-term commitment towards developing future-ready talent in India as outlined in the US$2.25 billion investment commitment announced in August 2025, and its broader focus on supporting national digital and skilling priorities. The expanded programs include:

1. Strengthening Public Sector AI Readiness: Kyndryl will contribute to building a future-ready public sector workforce by integrating the company’s AI for Governance programs with the Government’s Karmayogi iGOT Platform, the central digital learning platform for government employees. The curated courses will focus on AI fundamentals, responsible use of AI, and cyber safety, and are designed to help officials identify practical AI opportunities while strengthening cyber resilience across public institutions.
2. Introducing Foundational AI education in Government schools: Kyndryl will launch a foundational AI learning initiative for students in government schools. The pilot will begin in Varanasi and Ayodhya, with a focus on PM SHRI and Navodaya schools and aims to introduce age-appropriate AI education for 50,000 students while upskilling 1,000 teachers across 100 schools in two years.
3. Empowering Youth as AI change-makers: Kyndryl will empower India’s youth to serve as AI change-makers in their communities by training graduate students to drive AI literacy, map community challenges, and support the adoption of AI-enabled solutions across areas including rural governance, agriculture, and livelihood development. In three years, the initiative aims to enable 30,000 youth annually across India covering several states contributing to the development of sustainable, AI-ready rural ecosystems.

“Our mission is to support both India’s digital growth and to help unlock progress at every level,” said Lingraju Sawkar, President, Kyndryl India. “By strengthening the AI and cyber readiness of government officials, students and youth, we are helping build a confident, future-ready India that can lead with responsibility, resilience and innovation. Our programs are about empowering people everywhere to participate fully in the country’s digital transformation.”

Kyndryl’s ongoing commitment to talent development and digital skilling was one of the key highlights during a previous meeting between the Hon’ble Prime Minister of India, Shri Narendra Modi, and Kyndryl Chairman and CEO Martin Schroeter, where discussions focused on leveraging AI for government efficiency, empowering underserved communities, and accelerating skilling at scale. Through continued collaboration and targeted initiatives, Kyndryl is contributing to national priorities related to public sector capacity-building, education, and rural development.

Kolkata, Feb 16 :With the rapid expansion of the gold loan ecosystem across India, there is a growing demand for professionally trained and certified gold appraisers. Jewellers-cum-valuers, along with bank and NBFC officials engaged in gold loan operations, are increasingly seeking formal training in Gold & Jewellery Appraisal for skill upgradation, standardisation, and regulatory compliance.

Further, in view of the new guidelines issued by the Reserve Bank of India (RBI), proposed to be effective from April 2026, banks and NBFCs are expected to adopt more structured, transparent, and compliant gold loan appraisal and reimbursement mechanisms. This regulatory shift makes professional and technically sound training in gold appraisal even more critical.

Recognising this emerging need, the Centre for Valuation Studies, GLF Business School, organised a two-day specially designed workshop on Gold & Jewellery Valuation & Appraisal in Kolkata on February 9–10, 2026. The programme was conducted under the aegis of the MSME Technology Development Centre, Ministry of MSME, Government of India, in association with the ICMAI Registered Valuers Organisation (ICMAI RVO).

Expert Faculty & Programme Design

The workshop was conducted by renowned expert faculty Dr. Pravin R. Joshi from MSME-TDC. The specialised programme provided participants with a strong conceptual foundation, complemented by extensive hands-on practical demonstrations to ensure real-world applicability and industry relevance.

Key Topics Covered

The sessions covered:

• Fundamentals of gold, purity standards, and hallmarking
• Identification of different types and caratage of gold jewellery and alloys
• Methods of testing gold purity (visual inspection, touchstone method, and instrument-based testing)
• Weight calculation, wastage estimation, and scientific valuation techniques
• Risk factors, fraud detection, and best practices in gold appraisal
• Regulatory and operational aspects of gold loans in Banks and NBFCs, including RBI compliance requirements

The programme emphasised practical exposure, enabling participants to develop technical accuracy and confidence in appraisal processes.

Participant Profile

The workshop witnessed active participation from:

• Bank Managers and Loan Officers
• Valuers and Chartered Appraisers
• Jewellery Shop Owners
• Jewellery Manufacturers

Distinguished Presence

The programme was graced by the presence of:

• Prof. Avijit Banerjee, Director, GLF Business School
• Prof. Lopamudra Bhattacharyya, Founder & CEO, GLF Business School
• Shri Goutam Maiti, Programme Coordinator, MSME-TDC
• Dr. S. K. Gupta, Managing Director, ICMAI RVO (who joined online)

The workshop concluded with positive feedback from participants, who appreciated the technical depth, practical orientation, and regulatory insights offered by the programme. The initiative marks a significant step toward strengthening professional standards in gold valuation and supporting compliance-driven growth in the gold loan sector.