State Council of Educational Research and Training (SCERT) Maharashtra, in collaboration with Kotak Education Foundation (KEF), has launched ‘AI Saathi for Educators’, a structured online training programme aimed at helping teachers understand and use modern technology in classroom teaching.
The course was inaugurated by Maharashtra Education Minister Shri Dadaji Bhuse in the presence of Chief Secretary of the School Education and Sports Department Ranjit Singh Deval, Education Commissioner Sachindra Pratap Singh, SCERT Director Dr. Hemant Vasekar, Maharashtra State Examination Council President Nandkumar Bedse, Director of Secondary Education Mahesh Palkar, Director of Primary Education Sharad Gosavi, SCERT Deputy Director Varsharani Bhopale, Sub-Division Chief Rajendra Wakade, Dr. Sandip Mulay (Deputy HOD, IT Department) and representatives from Kotak Education Foundation, including Alka Pagare, Milind Pandey and Deepak Pathak. Members of the core project team, including Dr. Kamaladevi Awate (Joint Director), Jyoti Shinde (Deputy Director, IT Department) and Nivas Kamble (Superintendent, IT Department), were also present.
AI Saathi has become the first virtual course to be included as a mandatory training programme under the Maharashtra School Education Department’s online training policy. It has been approved as a four-hour certified course under the state’s 20-hour mandatory online professional development programme. The training will be compulsory for nearly 7.5 lakh teachers and education department officials working with Classes 1 to 12 across Maharashtra. According to SCERT Maharashtra, the programme was selected from 10 courses submitted for evaluation.
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The course has been developed entirely in Marathi so that teachers across the state can learn in their preferred language. It will be available on the DIKSHA platform and can be completed at the learner’s own pace through videos, study material and assessments. The programme is expected to reach nearly six lakh teachers across Maharashtra. Progress will be monitored through SCERT’s online dashboard, which will track enrolment, participation and course completion.
The learning content has been divided into three levels. The Basic Level introduces the fundamentals and covers lesson planning, classroom assessments, video creation and effective prompting. The Intermediate Level focuses on using these tools for inquiry-based learning, project-based learning, personalised teaching and better student participation. The Advanced Level has been designed for educators who want to lead technology-based initiatives in their schools and support wider implementation in the education system.
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According to Education Commissioner Sachindra Pratap Singh (IAS), the course has been prepared for all teachers and education department officials in Maharashtra to support their daily academic work. SCERT Director Dr. Hemant Vasekar (IAS) said the programme would help teachers work more effectively as technology becomes an important part of education. Ganesh Raja, CEO of Kotak Education Foundation, said the programme has been developed to strengthen teachers’ abilities rather than replace them and has been made available in Marathi with a focus on practical classroom use. Jayasree Ramesh, COO of Kotak Education Foundation, said the initiative would help teachers build confidence while using new technology in a responsible and ethical manner.
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The programme has been developed in line with the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020 and the UNESCO Teacher Competency Framework. It focuses on three main areas: Foundations and applications, classroom teaching methods, and ethical use, including privacy, bias and responsible practices.
Kotak Education Foundation has been working in the education sector for 19 years as the education-focused CSR arm of the Kotak Mahindra Group under Kotak Karma. Since 2023, the foundation has been conducting teacher training programmes, followed by webinars during 2024-25 on lesson planning, classroom activities, assessments and responsible use of technology. These efforts were expanded through INSPIRE 2025, after which SCERT Maharashtra partnered with the foundation to develop this state-wide programme.
Apart from teacher training, Kotak Education Foundation also runs several education initiatives across Maharashtra, Andhra Pradesh, Goa and Gujarat. These include school improvement programmes, teacher training, digital learning, communicative English and Foundational Literacy and Numeracy support. The foundation also offers the Kotak Kanya Scholarship for meritorious girls pursuing higher education, the Kotak Junior Scholarship for students entering Classes 11 and 12 in the Mumbai Metropolitan Region, and the Kotak Graduate Scholarship for undergraduate students. It also provides vocational training in information technology, spoken English, life skills and personality development to help young people from economically weaker backgrounds build careers. Through these programmes, the foundation aims to support education at the school, district and state levels while creating long-term improvements in the education system.
