NASSCOM FutureSkills® and Microsoft launch AI Classroom Series to skill India’s future workforce with AI capabilities

• The initiative aims to skill 1 million students in Artificial Intelligence by 2021

• The AI Classroom Series will deliver Microsoft’s AI, machine learning and data science expertise to undergraduate students at no cost

New Delhi, September 10, 2020: As part of its ongoing efforts to promote skilling as a national priority, NASSCOM FutureSkills and Microsoft have joined hands to launch a nation-wide AI skilling initiative. The initiative aims to skill 1 million students in AI by 2021.

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. These 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 with NASSCOM FutureSkills is an extension of Microsoft’s global skilling initiative to help 25 million people worldwide acquire new digital skills, needed to thrive in a digital economy.

Speaking about the partnership, Dr. Rohini Srivathsa, National Technology Officer, Microsoft India, said, “As economies start to recover from the pandemic, expanded access to digital skills will be one of the key drivers of an inclusive economic growth. 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. Microsoft is deeply invested in creating a digital skills ecosystem to equip India’s youth with AI-ready skills for evolving job-roles and our partnership with NASSCOM FutureSkills is a strong step in that direction.“

Speaking on the launch, Amit Aggarwal, VP & CEO, IT-ITeS Sector Skills Council, NASSCOM said, “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. We should look at this as a golden opportunity for students to imbibe AI and enhance their current skills sets to be future-ready.”

Commencing from September 21, 2020, the AI Classroom Series will be paced in three modules. The online classes will include live demos, hands-on workshops and assignments through self-learning, virtual instructor-led training, and mentoring. The teaching sessions will be conducted by various experts, including experts from Microsoft and NASSCOM. Students will have the option to choose from multiple time slots and plan their own learning pace. Registered students will also have access to content and developer tools from Microsoft and GitHub. A participation certificate from NASSCOM and Microsoft will be awarded to students at the end of the series.

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.