Microsoft launches AI Digital Labs with 10 educational institutes in India
Microsoft will partner with 10 higher education institutions to provide infrastructure, curriculum, training, access to cloud and AI services, and development tools and support.
Technology company Microsoft on Thursday announced the launch of AI Digital Labs in collaboration with 10 higher educational institutions in the country.
The institutes covered under this programme include BITS Pilani, BML Munjal University, ISB, Kalpataru Institute of Technology, KL University, Periyar University, Karunya University, SRM University, SVKM (NMIMS), and Trident Academy of Technology.
This collaboration will ramp up institutional setup along with educator capability, and provide relevant educational choices for students. This will help the students acquire skills needed to fill the gap emerging across India and the global economy, the company said in a statement.
With this programme, Microsoft estimated to impact 1.5 lakh students, allowing them to be skilled for a future-ready workforce.
Speaking on the launch, Anant Maheshwari, President of Microsoft India, said,
“As AI (artificial intelligence) becomes mainstream, organisations will require talent with skill sets that are very different from what exist now. Educators and institutions are integral to the skilling revolution taking root in the country. With the right technology infrastructure, curriculum and training, we can empower today’s students to build the India of tomorrow.”
As part of the three-year programme, Microsoft will support the selected institutions with best-in-class infrastructure, curriculum and content, access to cloud and AI services, as well as developer support.
The company will also facilitate setting up of core AI infrastructure and IoT Hub and provide access to a wide range of AI developmental tools and Azure AI services such as Microsoft Cognitive Services, Azure Machine Learning and bot services.
Training programmes for the faculty will include workshops on cloud computing, data sciences, AI and internet of things (IoT). Additionally, faculty members will receive assistance in strategising content and curriculum for project-based and experiential learning.
A recent Microsoft-IDC survey ‘Future Ready Business: Assessing Asia Pacific’s Growth Potential Through AI', said that only one-third of organisations in India have embarked on their AI journeys.
It added that 77 percent of business leaders agree that AI is instrumental for the organisation’s competitiveness.
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