Microsoft will provide AI-skill training to 2 million people in India by 2025, the internet giant said while unveiling its skilling initiative, ADVANTA(I)GE INDIA.
The initiative is part of the company’s Skills for Jobs programme, which is designed to empower India’s workforce with future-ready skills.
The skilling initiative is aligned with the company’s responsible AI principles and training will be delivered in partnership with governments, nonprofit and corporate organisations, and communities, the company added.
In its recent report called Work Trend Index, the company found that about 90 per cent of Indian business leaders have expressed the need for AI training in the workforce. Furthermore, 78 percent of Indian workers say they don’t have the right AI capabilities to complete their current work.
To address this gap, ADVANTA(I)GE INDIA will focus on training individuals in Tier 2 and Tier 3 cities, as well as rural areas, enabling people to participate in the new era of AI and unlock inclusive socio-economic progress, the company said.
"In the years ahead, AI innovation will play a pivotal role in shaping our future, and we at the Directorate General of Training, Ministry of Skill Development & Entrepreneurship, stay dedicated to realizing the potential of the AI era for India, in partnership with Microsoft and others,” said Trishaljit Sethi, director general (Training), Ministry of Skill Development & Entrepreneurship.
“The ADVANTA(I)GE INDIA initiative is a significant step towards democratizing access to AI skills across the nation and reflects Microsoft’s deep commitment to enabling inclusive growth with technology,” said Puneet Chandok, president of Microsoft India and South Asia. “India has a huge opportunity to be a global leader in AI, and creating AI fluency at scale is a critical step in that journey. This initiative aims to propel India into a promising era of AI fluency, empowering citizens across India with the right skills to thrive in the age of AI.”
The initiative will focus on three key areas to create AI fluency-Equipping India’s future workforce, upskilling government officials in AI, and working to build the AI capability of nonprofit organisations.
To deliver ADVANTA(I)GE INDIA, Microsoft will partner with India’s Ministry of Skill Development and Entrepreneurship and 10 state governments to provide basic and advanced training in AI to 500,000 students and job seekers in 100 rural vocational education institutions and training centers. This will expand on Microsoft’s existing collaboration with the ministry to train young people in digital and cybersecurity skills.
In addition, Microsoft will provide in-depth AI technical skills training for 100,000 young women through 5,000 trainers at higher education institutions in Tier 2 and Tier 3 cities.
Building on the Generative AI Skills Challenge, Microsoft and LinkedIn will convene the India Nonprofit Leaders Summit in April 2024, the company added.
