India’s first AI-powered anganwadi has been opened by the Maharashtra government at Waddhamna village in Nagpur district. The centre now has around 25 students in the 2–6 age group, up from 10 earlier.

Since July, children have been learning poetry, songs, and basic concepts through VR headsets from Meta, tablets, AI-enabled interactive smart boards, and other digital tools. The initiative, part of the Nagpur Zilla Parishad’s Mission Bal Bharari, aims to provide rural children with the same access to technology as their urban counterparts. The project, which cost Rs 9.5 lakh from the CESS fund, was launched on July 27 by Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis.

According to a report by News18, Saroj Kukde’s anganwadi in Waddhamna was chosen as the pilot model from among 2,202 centres in the district. CCTV cameras with Wi-Fi connectivity have been installed at the centre. The Zilla Parishad collaborated with Qolaba under the Centre’s IndiaAI programme, despite initial challenges in securing a technology partner.

In the next training phase, workers will learn how to use generative AI tools to create original text, graphics, and music.

Kukde currently spends five hours a day at the centre, teaching pupils with the help of ten VR sets and a smart board. The AI system uses gamified tools to track each child’s progress and adjusts the level of difficulty based on their response times.

Plans are underway to extend the project to 40 more anganwadis, use AI to assess nutrition, and further bridge the digital divide between rural and urban areas.