Microsoft To Equip Two Million Indians With AI Skills By 2025 (Image: Microsoft)

Software giant Microsoft has announced a significant initiative in India. With the project dubbed ADVANTA(I)GE INDIA, Microsoft is aiming to equip 2 million people in the country with skills in artificial intelligence by 2025.

According to Microsoft, the ADVANTA(I)GE INDIA initiative is part of Microsoft’s Skills for Jobs program, which is designed to empower the country”s workforce with future-ready skills. Meanwhile, Microsoft chief executive officer Satya Nadella kicked off his visit to India today. During the Microsoft CEO Connection event in Mumbai on Wednesday, Satya Nadella announced that Microsoft will provide 2 million people in India with AI skilling opportunities. The Microsoft CEO said that the country is “uniquely positioned to make the promise of AI a reality.”

“We are committed to partnering broadly across the public and private sector to help close the nation’s AI skills gap and create new opportunity throughout the country,” said Satya Nadella during his India visit.

Microsoft says that, as per the Work Trend Index, 90 percent of Indian leaders say the people they hire will need new skills to prepare them for the growth of AI. The findings in the report also indicated that 78 percent of Indian workers say they do not have the right AI capabilities to complete their current work.

The ambitious ADVANTA(I)GE INDIA initiative will focus on training individuals in Tier 2 and Tier 3 cities, as well as rural regions. According to Microsoft, the initiative will focus on three major areas to create AI fluency. This includes equipping India’s future workforce, upskilling government officials in AI, and working to build the AI capability of nonprofit organizations.

For this initiative, Microsoft will partner with India’s Ministry of Skill Development and Entrepreneurship and 10 state governments. Basic and advanced training in AI will be provided to 500,000 students and job seekers in 100 rural vocational education institutions and training centers. Microsoft, in its blog, also announced that they will deliver 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.