MSDE and Microsoft Join Hands to Launch "AI Careers for Women" Initiative.

In April 2025, the Ministry of Skill Development and Entrepreneurship (MSDE) signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Microsoft Corporation, Inc., headquartered in Redmond, Washington, United States of America (USA). The partnership marks the launch of ‘AI Careers for Women’, a significant skilling initiative focused on empowering women enrolled in Higher Education Institutions (HEIs) to build careers in the field of Artificial Intelligence (AI).

      - The initiative is designed to equip women with industry-relevant AI skills, enabling their active participation in the digital economy. This collaboration aims to position women as key contributors to India’s innovation-driven growth and strengthen their role in shaping the country’s future tech ecosystem.

      - As part of this strategic collaboration, Microsoft will train 20,000 women through a 240-hour training curriculum under the AI Skilling and Innovation Framework for Women. This program is designed in alignment with the National Council for Vocational Education and Training (NCVET), based in New Delhi (Delhi), to ensure industry-relevant and globally recognized skill development.

      - To create a widespread impact, the program will set up 30 Centres of Excellence (CoEs) in women's colleges across six Indian states. These CoEs will serve as central hubs and will provide mentorship, resources, and support to an additional 150 spoke institutions located in Tier-II and Tier-III towns, thus expanding the reach of AI education and innovation to semi-urban and rural areas.

Main Point :-   (i) The implementation of this transformative program will be led by the Bengaluru (Karnataka)-based Edunet Foundation, a nonprofit organization. The foundation will collaborate closely with academic institutions, government agencies, corporates, and industry leaders to ensure a holistic ecosystem approach that promotes industry-relevant skills and economic empowerment for women in AI.

      (ii) This initiative also aims to reshape traditional learning by integrating AI training into credit-linked university curricula, in line with the National Education Policy (NEP). The program promotes a flexible, interdisciplinary, and future-ready education model, fostering an inclusive workforce equipped to thrive in the 21st-century digital economy.

(iii) With a strong emphasis on practical application and innovation, the program will provide access to AI certifications, internships, apprenticeships, fellowships, and career guidance. Special focus will be given to empowering women from rural areas, enabling them to innovate in the field of AI and significantly improve their economic and career prospects.
About Ministry of Skill Development and Entrepreneurship (MSDE)