Microsoft and IndiaAI, the artificial intelligence arm of the Indian government, have joined forces to train 500,000 individuals in AI by 2026. The training program will cater to government officials, educators, developers, students, and women entrepreneurs, as reported recently. Puneet Chandok, President of Microsoft India and South Asia, revealed that the company’s $3 billion investment announced by Chairman and CEO Satya Nadella will focus on building India’s talent base alongside infrastructure, technology, and AI capabilities.
“We committed to training 2 million people last year and surpassed that target with 2.4 million trained. We aim to train 10 million individuals over the next five years. As part of this, we’ve signed an MoU with the IndiaAI mission to train 500,000 people specifically,” Chandok shared.
In March 2024, the government approved ₹10,372 crore for a five-year plan to bolster the country’s AI ecosystem. Under this collaboration, a Centre of Excellence dubbed the “AI Catalysts,” will be set up to promote rural AI innovation in Tier 2 and Tier 3 cities. It will support 100,000 developers and innovators through initiatives like community development, hackathons, and access to an AI marketplace. Microsoft and IndiaAI also plan to establish an AI safety institute in India. This institute will create frameworks, standards, and assessment methods to ensure the responsible development of AI technologies. Microsoft’s Founders Hub initiative will also provide mentorship, business resources, and Azure credits to up to 1,000 AI startups under the IndiaAI mission, fostering innovation and growth in India’s startup ecosystem.
To address India’s diverse linguistic landscape, the partnership will explore building foundational AI models with Indic language support to ensure cultural and contextual relevance. “This partnership represents a significant step towards advancing India’s AI capabilities and fostering inclusive innovation nationwide,” Chandok emphasized.