Microsoft partners with IndiaAI: The government's artificial intelligence programme unit IndiaAI has partnered with technology giant Microsoft to train 5 lakh individuals, including students, educators, developers, government officials, and women entrepreneurs on AI by 2026. IndiaAI, an Independent Business Division (IBD) under the Digital India Corporation, has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to drive the adoption and development of artificial intelligence (AI) in India.
Microsoft India and South Asia President, Puneet Chandok told news agency PTI that the USD 3 billion investment announced by the company's Chairman and CEO Satya Nadella will be on building tech, infrastructure and AI capacity and also on building the human capital in this country. "We had announced training for 20 lakh people last year. We have already trained 24 lakh. We have announced to train 1 crore people over the next five years. We have also signed an MoU with IndiaAI mission and as part of that, 5 lakh people will be trained," Chandok said.
Key highlights of the collaboration are as under:
- Microsoft, in partnership with IndiaAI, will skill 500,000 individuals, including students, educators, developers, government officials, and women entrepreneurs, by 2026.
- Establish "AI Catalysts," a Center of Excellence, to promote rural AI innovation in Tier 2 and Tier 3 cities and equip 100,000 AI innovators and developers through hackathons, community building, and an AI marketplace.
- Set up AI Productivity Labs in 20 National Skill Training Institutes (NSTIs)/NIELIT centers across 10 states to train 20,000 educators and empower 100,000 students with foundational AI courses in 200 Industrial Training Institutes (ITIs).
- Focus on developing AI-enabled solutions for critical sectors, leveraging Microsoft Research (MSR)'s expertise.
- Microsoft’s Founders Hub program will extend benefits, including Azure credits, business resources, and mentorship, to up to 1,000 AI startups under the IndiaAI Mission, fostering innovation and growth in India’s startup ecosystem.
- Develop foundational models with Indic language support to address India’s linguistic diversity and unique requirements, ensuring cultural and contextual relevance.
- Support IndiaAI in building a robust and scalable datasets platform, including tools for dataset curation, annotation, and synthetic data generation.
- Collaborate to create frameworks, standards, and evaluation metrics for responsible AI development, supporting the establishment of an AI Safety Institute in India.
Aim to position India as a leader in AI applications
Highlighting the power of collaborative innovation for India, Abhishek Singh, CEO, IndiaAI Mission said that "India AI Mission is being implemented by the Government of India with the objective of addressing key issues that can help India take the leadership in building applications using AI. This strategy focuses on building partnerships with Industry and Academia."
"Towards this, the collaboration with Microsoft aligns with the core pillars of the IndiaAI Mission, focusing on skilling, innovation, and responsible AI development. By training 500,000 individuals, fostering innovation through AI Centers of Excellence, and delivering AI-driven solutions in critical sectors, we are advancing India's AI ecosystem. This partnership emphasizes inclusivity by empowering underserved communities, promoting ethical AI practices and supporting startups to drive economic growth. Together, we are committed to positioning India as a global AI leader and creating a sustainable and equitable future for all," he added.
By advancing AI innovation and adoption, the collaboration seeks to position India as a global leader in AI while driving inclusive and sustainable growth.
Also Read: RBI introduces new credit report rules: Know how it will affect your credit score
Also Read: Silver price on January 8: Check latest rates in Delhi, Mumbai, Chennai, Kolkata and other cities
