Microsoft to Launch AI Center of Excellence and Train 500,000 Indians under India's AI Initiative

Science & Technology Science

Posted by admin on 2025-01-10 11:27:13 |

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Microsoft hasannounced a significant partnership with the Indian government to establish anArtificial Intelligence (AI) Center of Excellence. The collaboration willinvolve key sectors such as healthcare, transportation, agriculture, finance,and education, marking a major push for AI adoption in India. As part of thisinitiative, Microsoft plans to train over 500,000 Indians, including students,educators, developers, government officials, and women entrepreneurs, in AItools by next year.

The announcementfollows Microsoft's recent pledge to invest $3 billion in India and set up datacenters across the country over the next two years. According to a study by IDCcommissioned by Microsoft, AI adoption in India has increased by 12% to reach72% in 2024. Satya Nadella, CEO of Microsoft, highlighted that AI's adoptionrate in India is impressively fast, likening it to the adoption in tech hubslike Seattle and Palo Alto. Nadella pointed out that the speed of AIintegration across India is akin to that in leading global tech centers.

In addition to itsAI initiatives, Microsoft signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with theUnion Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology as part of India’s AIprogram. Nadella also provided insights into the company’s key AI platforms, suchas Copilot, Copilot & AI stack, and Copilot Devices, and explained howthese tools can help Indian businesses grow and innovate.

The collaborationwill also see the establishment of AI productivity labs in 20 National SkillTraining Institutes (NSTIs) and NIELIT centers across 10 states, aiming toprovide specialized AI courses to boost learning and skills development. Thisis part of Microsoft’s broader effort to foster AI education in India andensure widespread access to the technology across diverse demographics.

On a parallel track,the Ministry of Telecommunications has awarded funding to AI Touch LLP underthe Telecommunications Technology Development Fund (TTDF) scheme. AI Touch willwork on developing advanced components for disaggregated 5G Radio Access Network(RAN), including RAN Intelligent Controller (RIC), Service Management andOrchestration (SMO), and Network Data Analytics Function (NWDAF) modules. Thisproject is expected to simplify mobile network operations, enhance costefficiency for network operators, and enable the growth of new applications inthe telecom sector.

The initiative aimsto advance India’s 5G ecosystem by using AI/ML-based applications forintelligent and automated control of RAN and core nodes. It will demonstratehow AI can optimize user experiences during congestion and offer interfaces forthird-party application integration. Dr. Rajkumar Upadhyay, CEO of C-DOT, theimplementing partner, emphasized the importance of collaboration betweenindustry leaders like AI Touch to create indigenous technological solutions forIndia’s telecom sector.

The project’s focuson AI-driven innovation in telecommunications will pave the way for aself-reliant 5G ecosystem in India. Dr. Parag Agarwal, DDG of TTDF, highlightedhow this initiative supports the country’s efforts to build a strong,autonomous tech infrastructure. AI Touch’s role in developing predictivecapabilities and automation frameworks within the telecom infrastructure willensure more efficient and accurate management of network challenges.

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