Microsoft’s Chairman and CEO, Satya Nadella, announced plans to train over two million individuals in India in generative AI skills, aiming to alleviate the talent shortage in the AI era. Speaking at an event, Nadella emphasized the importance of equipping youth with the necessary skills to thrive in the evolving AI landscape, stressing the role of both skills development and job creation in the AI sector.
Highlighting India’s strong pool of software developers and its growing AI engineering community on Microsoft-owned platform Github, Nadella underscored the increasing participation of rural India in the AI economy. He expressed enthusiasm about India’s potential to leverage investments in core scientific industries and leapfrog in technological advancement.
Nadella reaffirmed Microsoft’s commitment to India, citing the establishment of multiple Cloud regions, with plans for further expansion. Emphasizing the integration of AI across Microsoft’s data and technology stack, Nadella noted increased adoption by AI-first startups and major corporations globally.
The announcement follows a meeting between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Nadella, among other Big Tech CEOs, during Modi’s US visit in June the previous year. Microsoft’s statement post-meeting emphasized the transformative potential of technology, particularly AI, in improving lives in India and globally. It reiterated Microsoft’s commitment to fostering India’s vibrant developer and startup ecosystem, with the aim of driving technological growth with global impact.
