For millions of Indian students juggling assignments, side hustles and other creative ambitions, premium design software has often come with a price tag that's hard to justify. Well, that's changing now as at the India AI Impact Summit 2026, Adobe has announced that it will offer free Photoshop and other flagship tools to students across accredited higher institutions in India.
Adobe Makes Photoshop, Acrobat and Firefly Free for Students in India
Just last month, Airtel started offering Adobe Express Premium for free for a year. Now, looks like Adobe decided to step in themselves with the newest initiative and make Photoshop, Acrobat and Adobe Firefly free for students at no cost through colleges and universities.
Beyond free access to Photoshop and other creative tools, students will also have access to curriculum, training, and industry-recognised credentials designed to strengthen employability in an AI-powered economy.
Adobe said the programme aligns with the government's vision to build capacity in the AVGC (Animation, Visual Effects, Gaming and Comics) sector and broader digital job-creation goals.
Additionally, as part of the rollout, Adobe will extend its AI-first offering to 15,000 schools and 500 colleges set to host Content Creator Labs in partnership with the government. The tech giant is also collaborating with NASSCOMM's FutureSkills Prime initiative to provide free, industry-relevant AI courses and certifications.
Adobe emphasised that its generative AI approach prioritises commercially safe content. Firefly integrates models from partners including Google and OpenAI, allowing students flexibility in experimenting with different AI models within a unified creative workflow.
Adobe is expanding the opportunity for creativity for millions of students across India, empowering them with AI skills, further accelerating Prime Minister Modi’s vision. I look forward to seeing what the students of India create with Adobe's industry-leading tools, and in doing so, accelerating Viksit Bharat.
— Shantanu Narayen, Chair and CEO, Adobe
