The Ministry of Skill Development and Entrepreneurship (MSDE) has launched “AI Careers for Women.” This programme aims to empower young women with AI skilling in Artificial Intelligence (AI) in India. MSDE has collaborated with Microsoft for this initiative.
The programme will establish 30 Centres of Excellence (CoEs) in six Indian states. These CoEs will primarily be in women’s colleges in Tier-II and Tier-III towns. Each CoE will support 150 other educational institutions. This will create a large AI-skilling ecosystem for women in India.
The programme aims to train 20,000 women. They will undergo a 240-hour curriculum. This curriculum is designed under Microsoft’s AI Skilling and Innovation framework. The National Council for Vocational Education and Training (NCVET) was also consulted.
- AI certification
- Internships
- Apprenticeships
- Fellowships
- Career guidance
- Entrepreneurship streams
The programme focuses strongly on innovation and practical application. It also aims to improve economic prospects for rural Indian women. They will be able to develop AI applications and datasets. This will help create a strong AI talent pipeline in under-served regions.
Also Read: Skill Development vs Degree Education: What Matters More?
Minister of State, Shri Jayant Chaudhary, highlighted the importance of industry-government partnership. He stated that this programme is a great example of building an inclusive and future-ready workforce. Integrating the programme into university courses will align with the National Education Policy (NEP). This will make learning flexible and industry-relevant for 21st-century skills.
