Microsoft to equip 2 million people with AI skills in India by 2025

Microsoft on Wednesday launched a new skilling initiative, The ADVANTA(I)GE INDIA, that aims to equip 2 million people with AI skills in India by 2025. The initiative is part of the tech giant's broader commitment to accelerate the country's AI transformation.

The ADVANTA(I)GE INDIA initiative will focus on three key areas to create AI fluency:

• Equipping India's future workforce
• Upskilling government officials in AI
• Build the AI capability of nonprofit organizations

The program will train individuals in Tier 2 and Tier 3 cities, as well as rural areas, enabling them to participate in the new era of AI and unlock inclusive socio-economic progress.

To equip India's future workforce with AI skills, Microsoft will join forces 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.

About 100,000 young women will be provided with in-depth AI technical skills training through 5,000 trainers at higher education institutions in Tier 2 and Tier 3 cities.

The initiative will also see Microsoft raising awareness of responsible AI use and AI-enabled careers for 400,000 students in schools in remote and tribal regions, enabling them to be next-generation AI innovators.

"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 & 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."

To strengthen the AI capability of government officers, Microsoft will strengthen its partnership with India's National Programme for Civil Services Capacity Building, equipping 250,000 government officers with essential knowledge of generative AI and increasing their AI fluency.

To enable nonprofit organizations to accelerate their AI transformation and maximize social impact, Microsoft and LinkedIn will convene the India Nonprofit Leaders Summit in April 2024. The summit will enable 2,500 nonprofits and NGOs to leverage AI skilling resources and technologies to further train 750,000 learners in AI fluency and technical skills.