Ever since the Global Pandemic has taken a toll on the conventional forms of learning available to us, technology-based companies are trying hard to come up with new initiatives to help people cope with the newly accepted form of living and learning. This time, Microsoft, along with The National Association of Software and Services Companies (NASSCOM®) has decided to launch a nationwide AI skilling initiative.
The partnership formed between Microsoft and NASSCOM is an extension of Microsoft’s Global Skilling Initiative which aims at helping 25 million people to learn the digital skills which have become an absolute essential these days. The wise initiative by Microsoft and NASSCOM has future plans of introducing AI to almost 1 million students by 2021.
The collaboration aims at providing learning lessons about AI to students through easily accessible modes of learning. It will enable the student to access Microsoft’s AI, machine learning, and data science expertise through live demos and assignments. The uniqueness of the collaboration lies in the fact that the graduate students will have the opportunity to access the introductory sessions on AI free of cost.
These introductory sessions which are made available to the graduate students free of cost will include the basics of data science and machine learning models on azure. The students will also be introduced to cognitive services in these sessions of learning. Understanding cognitive service will help learners in producing intelligent solutions.
Microsoft has set its sail for its venture in India in 1990. Ever since it was set up, Microsoft has always experienced steady growth in its operations. In these 30 odd years, Microsoft has succeeded in enlarging its empire. Today in India, it has more than 11,000 employees across 11 cities including Ahmedabad, Bengaluru, New Delhi, Chennai, Noida, Hyderabad, Gurgaon, Pune, Mumbai, Kochi, and Kolkata.
NASSCOM like Microsoft is not far behind. The premier trade body is also the hub of the Tech Industry in India. NASSCOM consists of more than 2800 participating companies including both Indian as well as multinational organizations that have a presence in India. NASSCOM has helped in establishing the Tech Industry in India as one of the most trusted partners globally and contributes largely towards India’s GDP and developments.
Dr. Rohini Srivathsa, National Technology Officer, Microsoft India, when asked to speak about the partnership said,-
As economies start to recover from the pandemic, expanded access to digital skills will be one of the key drivers of 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.
The joint vision of both the companies to make India well equipped with technological facilities is bearing fruits. The AI Classroom series which is initially aimed at presenting in three modules will commence from September 21, 2020. The online session will be conducted by various experts from Microsoft and NASSCOM. In addition to these facilities, the students will have the freedom to choose from multiple available slots for the class and can plan the pace of their learning according to their own needs.
Amit Aggarwal, who is the VP & CEO, IT-ITeS Sector Skills Council, of NASSCOM said that –
With disruptions and shifting customer preferences changing technology and skillsets in demand, there is a rise in new job roles and occupations; skillsets 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.
The perks of the project do not end here. Along with the space to access content and developer tools from Microsoft and GitHub, the students will be awarded a certificate of participation from Microsoft and NASSCOM after the completion of the course.
The coalition will further try to collaborate with various academic institutions including schools, colleges, and universities to promote the need of including the AI technologies in their curriculum. The partnership has the potential of turning India into a hub of technologically skilled talents in AI globally.
