NASSCOM, Microsoft to skill 10 lakh students with AI capabilities
Sep 10, 2020
New Delhi [India], September 10 : IT industry body NASSCOM FutureSkills and Microsoft have joined hands to launch a nationwide artificial intelligence (AI) skilling initiative to upgrade 10 lakh students by next year.
The collaboration will provide Microsoft's AI, machine learning and data science expertise to students through easy-to-consume modules including live demos, hands-on workshops and assignments.
Introductory sessions on AI will be available for undergraduate students at no cost and will cover the basics of data science, machine learning models on Azure, and understanding of cognitive services to build intelligent solutions.
The partnership will also steer collaboration with various academic institutes and colleges to integrate new cloud and AI technologies into the curriculum with a vision to make India the global hub for skilled talent in AI.
It is an extension of Microsoft's global skilling initiative to help 2.5 crore people worldwide acquire new digital skills needed to thrive in a digital economy.
"As economies start to recover from the pandemic, expanded access to digital skills will be one of the key drivers of inclusive economic growth," said Rohini Srivathsa, National Technology Officer at Microsoft India.
"Technologies like AI are becoming enablers for every business today, making the need for creating an AI-ready ecosystem vital for India's economic and social value creation," she said in a statement issued on Thursday.
Amit Aggarwal, Vice-President and CEO of NASSCOM's IT-ITeS Sector Skills Council said that with disruptions and shifting customer preferences changing technology and skill-sets in demand, there is a rise in new job roles and occupations.
"Skill sets are rapidly emerging as must-haves for current and prospective tech employees. The joint initiative with Microsoft aims to not only build future AI skilled talent but also nurture job creation through constant reskilling and upskilling for the years to come," he said.
The AI classroom series will start on September 21. Students will have the option to choose from multiple time slots and plan their own learning pace.
