The Ministry of Skill Development and Entrepreneurship (MSDE) has partnered with Microsoft to launch the 'AI Careers for Women' initiative. This ambitious program aims to establish 30 Centers of Excellence in women’s colleges across six Indian states, focusing on equipping young women with in-demand skills in Artificial Intelligence (AI). The goal is to bridge the gender gap in emerging tech fields and enable women to actively participate in India's innovation-driven economy.
As part of this initiative, Microsoft will provide a comprehensive 240-hour AI training curriculum developed in consultation with the National Council for Vocational Education and Training (NCVET). The training will use a hub-and-spoke model, where each of the 30 hubs will support five educational institutions as spokes, covering a total of 150 institutions in Tier-II and Tier-III towns.
The program aims to train 20,000 women, offering them not only knowledge of AI but also real-world experience through projects, certifications, internships, apprenticeships, and career guidance.
Union Minister Jayant Chaudhary highlighted that this initiative represents a powerful collaboration between government and industry to create a future-ready and inclusive workforce. He emphasized that integrating this program into university curricula aligns with the National Education Policy (NEP) and reflects a reimagining of 21st-century education—flexible, interdisciplinary, and industry-focused.
The Edunet Foundation, one of the program partners, will oversee the implementation by working closely with academic institutions, government departments, and industry bodies. Their role is to create an ecosystem where women can develop relevant skills and access economic opportunities in AI.
Importantly, the program is designed to benefit not only urban learners but also women in rural areas. By encouraging rural innovation through AI application development and dataset creation, the initiative aims to build a robust talent pipeline for local tech enterprises. MSDE will also assist in curriculum accreditation and support apprenticeship and job placements for rural women.
Providing women in rural areas with AI skills creates new opportunities for agricultural innovation, including smart farming solutions, crop monitoring systems, and data-driven decision-making tools, enabling them to utilize technology to enhance agricultural productivity and sustainability.
Aparna Gupta, Global Delivery Center Leader at Microsoft India, expressed her enthusiasm for the initiative, noting the importance of equal access to AI skills in building an inclusive digital economy. She reaffirmed Microsoft's commitment to empowering women, particularly in underserved regions, through capacity-building efforts that prepare them for AI-powered job roles.
