Hyderabad-based edtech platform byteXL has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Microsoft to upskill students from tier 2 and 3 cities across India. The pan-India initiative—XLerate—supported by the All India Council for Technical Education (AICTE), aims to impart training in new age and emerging technologies. 

The initiative aims to produce one crore internship opportunities across the nation by 2025. 

ByteXL will be in charge of training and comprehensive programmes, whereas Microsoft will provide the necessary infrastructure like sophisticated artificial intelligence (AI) labs to support specialised education. 

Students can also earn Microsoft certifications, once they complete the required skills. Those who participate in this program will have access to Microsoft Azure and AI certifications, along with other industry-approved training modules. 

Founded in 2019, the organisation indicated a strong calibre of creating pertinent impact to raise the employability of 1 lakh engineering students across 90 institutes in 7 states. 

“The collaboration aims to transform technical education and reimagine the skills ecosystem through a robust and career intensive curriculum. Our collaborative efforts are directed towards the redefining of the traditional engineering colleges and in creating a globally in-demand growth spectrum for the new graduates,” Karun Tadepalli, chief executive officer and co-founder of byteXL said.

“Digital technologies will be key in addressing the skills challenge that we are facing today. Democratizing access to skilling with a focus on employability, especially in Tier 2 and 3 cities of India, can empower large talent pools for the digital economy. At Microsoft, we believe we can combine the best in technology with strong collaborations like byteXL to better serve young people and create more opportunities for them,” added Indrani Choudhury, chief learning officer of Microsoft India.