Held in Lucknow, UTSAV 2025 marked the culmination of an initiative that has empowered over 10,000 government school students across Lucknow and Varajnasi through TAP Buddy, an AI-powered learning solution focused on building foundational skills in coding and financial literacy.
Throughout this past year, students navigated interactive modules pacing their learning journey through AI-supported content and contextual prompts. The 50 most promising projects, selected from hundreds of entries, were showcased at the event to educators, Microsoft leaders, and state officials.
The event was graced by Shree Vishnukant Pandey, ASPD Madhyamik Shiksha Vibhag, and Shree Rajkumar, Quality Cell Head - RMSA Madhuamik Shiksha Vibhag as Chief Guests, alongside Shree Gunjan Patel , Director & Head AI Skills, Skills for Social Impact Microsoft India joining online.
“AI is swiftly taking over the world - and as teachers, students, principals and administrators it is our job to educate ourselves on how to use AI and further our capabilities,” shared Shree Vishnukant Pandey, ASPD Madhyamik Shiksha Vibhag. “The government has a lot it wants to achieve on-ground, but it has to depend on teachers for execution at the grassroot level. In this undertaking organisations like TAP come as a blessing, where they bring together our students, our teachers and giants like Microsoft to work hand in hand with us towards a larger mission.”
A panel discussion titled “Nayi Shiksha, Nayi Soch: Equipping Uttar Pradesh’s Students for Life and Work” brought together educators, field experts, and policymakers to explore the future of inclusive learning. Along with the showcase by students the attendees also got the opportunity to attend a seminar on AI and the Future of Education led by TAP’s leadership team.
“When we talk about AI, we often talk about it from the lens of the future - but AI is the present. It is in the now. So I would like to stress that not just students but also teachers should equip themselves with the skills to harness the power of AI.”, said Shree Gunjan Patel, Director & Head AI Skills, Skills for Social Impact Microsoft.
Empowering Students Through AI and Experiential Learning
Initiated in Lucknow and Varanasi as a pilot for Uttar Pradesh, TAP’s initiative has enabled students from government schools to explore and apply 21st-century skills in practical ways. With the official Letter of Engagement from the Department of Secondary Education, Uttar Pradesh, TAP with support from Microsoft India is set to scale AI-driven learning across 17 districts in government and government-aided schools for the academic year 25-26, thus impacting a further 5,000 teachers and 1,50,000+ students.
At the heart of all these transformations is TAP Buddy, a chatbot integrated with GPT-3.5, offering a personalized, self-paced curriculum across Coding, STEM, Arts, and Financial Literacy. Through a partnership with Bhashini, an AI language platform by the Government of India, TAP Buddy provides translations into Indian languages, ensuring students can learn in their mother tongue and access safe, inclusive education.
“With TAP Buddy, we’re not just teaching students how to code or manage money—we’re introducing them to a way of thinking that sets them up for long-term success,”said Monica Pesswani, Co-Founder of The Apprentice Project. “TAP’s partnership with the Government of Uttar Pradesh and support from Microsoft India is creating an education model in UP that directly contributes to the IndiaAI vision of inclusive, transformational development.”
Taking innovation further, TAP is introducing an AI-driven, evaluation platform to assess student projects and track cognitive skill development. This automated feedback system provides data-driven insights, enabling students to strengthen critical thinking and problem-solving abilities essential for future success.
About The Apprentice Project:
The Apprentice Project (TAP) is a non-profit organization dedicated to empowering children from underserved communities by nurturing 21st-century skills through creative learning in Science, Technology, Arts, and Leadership. By combining AI-driven technology with a multilingual approach, TAP is breaking educational barriers and fostering a new generation of leaders and innovators. Founded by alumni of Harvard, IIM B and Teach for India, TAP facilitated more than 482,000 interactions on the app, serving 34,000 students across 246 schools during 2023-24. Students engaging with TAP’s curriculum have shown a twofold improvement in creativity, problem-solving, and emotional management compared to their peers.
For more information on TAP’s initiatives and future events, or to explore partnership opportunities, please contact:
Meghna Verma Darkim
[Sr. Partner Communications, The Apprentice Project]
+91 8373978720
meghna.v@theapprenticeproject.org
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