tl;dr
Microsoft has partnered with India’s Ministry of Skill Development and Entrepreneurship to launch the ‘AI Careers for Women’ program, aiming to empower female higher education students with AI skills. The initiative addresses the gender gap in technology, promoting women’s participation in the digit...
Microsoft has partnered with India’s Ministry of Skill Development and Entrepreneurship to launch the ‘AI Careers for Women’ program, aiming to equip female higher education students with artificial intelligence (AI) skills to bridge the gender gap in technology and enhance employment prospects in Tier-II and Tier-III cities.
The initiative features a comprehensive 240-hour training curriculum aligned with industry standards, delivered through 30 Centers of Excellence and 150 affiliated institutions across six states. It targets 20,000 women students, focusing on practical, hands-on AI learning, certifications, internships, and career guidance to facilitate their entry into the digital workforce.
By fostering rural inclusion and promoting women’s participation in emerging tech fields, the program supports India’s vision of a diverse and innovation-led economy. Microsoft and MSDE collaborate to accredit the curriculum and facilitate employment, ensuring the skills imparted remain relevant and industry-driven.
Highlighting the need for such initiatives, reports like India’s Economic Survey 2024–2025 emphasize job displacement risks from AI, underscoring the importance of reskilling and equitable access to AI education. The program’s hub-and-spoke model connects centralized Centers of Excellence with spoke institutions in underserved regions, expanding AI learning beyond metros.
Aparna Gupta of Microsoft India expressed enthusiasm about empowering women in smaller cities and towns to thrive in an AI-powered economy. The Edunet Foundation plays a crucial role in implementing the program, fostering cross-sector alliances to drive systemic change and scale economic opportunities for women.
Participants will receive expert-led training, recognized certifications, and career pathways in AI-driven roles. The program also emphasizes rural engagement, enabling women to innovate, develop AI applications, and contribute to AI datasets, thus nurturing a strong talent pipeline rooted in diverse Indian communities.
This strategic partnership not only advances women’s skills but also aligns with the National Education Policy, reimagining 21st-century education as flexible, interdisciplinary, and tightly integrated with industry needs, positioning young women as key contributors to India’s future-ready digital economy.