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Delhi NCR [India], February 27:The AI Careers for Women (AICW) initiative first launched in April 2025 by the Ministry of Skill Development and Entrepreneurship (MSDE) in partnership with Microsoft in the presence of Honourable Minister Jayant Chaudhary has entered thenext phase of execution with the formal launch of a powerful multi-stakeholder allianceled by Microsoft, SAP, and LinkedIn. This alliance is apurposeful step toward building inclusive, scalable, and sustainable career pathways for women in India's rapidly evolving AI economy.

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The initiative gained momentum in July 2025 with the onboarding of SAP and LinkedIn as corporate partners strengthening AICW's leadership-driven ecosystem and elevating its national impact. Their entry marked a pivotal milestone in transforming the program into a robust, industry-aligned platform focused on addressingthe persistent gender gap in the technology workforce. Today's launch marks the formal activation of this collaboration, highlighting a shared commitment to ensuring women are not only skilled for the AI economy but actively prioritized within it.

AICW is designed to bridge the prominent gender gap in the technology workforce by creating a robust ecosystem for women in higher education. Operating via a hub-and-spoke model across eight states, Telangana, Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, Uttar Pradesh, Gujarat, Maharashtra, Rajasthan and Odisha, the program is a direct link between academic learning and industry careers.

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Theprogram is balancing on two strategic pillars - Skilling and certification and an AI LinkedIn Fellowship.

The skilling initiative, supported by Microsoft and SAP, delivers comprehensive, job-ready training in AI and data technologies. This includes a 240-hour instructor-led curriculum at Hub colleges and 180 hours at Spoke colleges, supplemented by self-paced digital learning on Microsoft platforms, hands-on labs, and real-world capstone projects. Participants earn industry-recognized certifications and gain structured pathways to internships and employment.

In the first year of the program, AICW aims to establish 25 AI Centres of Excellence, with a focused effort to upskill approximately 10,000 women students across participating institutions.

Over the past months, collaborations have been made with state agencies includingAndhra Pradesh State Skill Development Corporation(APSSDC),Uttar Pradesh Development System Corporation (UPDESCO), Department of Technical Education (DTE) Karnataka, Gujarat Knowledge Society (GKS), and Women Entrepreneurs Hub (WeHub) Govt. of Telangana. Active discussions are ongoing to partner with the state agencies to drive implementation in collaboration with government departments.

The AI careers for women initiative stands at the core of SAP CSR's commitment in creating an inclusive technology future. Providing the underrepresented talent with the right tools to succeed in a digital-first world, the curriculum not only covers technical proficiency but also combines AI skills with leadership and entrepreneurship training transform these talents into architects of the new digital economy. By promoting talents that are specifically interested in using technology for social and environmental good, the initiative reinforces SAP's long-term dedication to building a legacy of innovation, opportunity, and systemic impact.

Furthermore, the LinkedIn Fellowshipis a unique three-month program created exclusively for non-STEM women students and faculty. Supported by Microsoft and LinkedIn, with IISc Bengaluru as the academic partner, the fellowship blends industry exposure, academic depth, and national scale to open AI learning and career opportunities for women from diverse educational backgrounds. It has sparked a remarkable demand, receiving over 2,000 applications nationwide and onboarding 180 student and faculty fellows. It is poised to provide selected students and faculty with mentorship from industry leaders, peer learning networks, and leadership development.

The end-to-end execution of this multi-stakeholder collaboration is being managed by the Edunet Foundation. On the occasion, Nagesh Singh, Chairmanof Edunet Foundation, explains, "Our implementation stitches together curriculum delivery, mentorship logistics, and industry connectivity into a single, structured journey and helps our learners to transition from being a student to becoming a skilled professional."

With a sharp focus on gender inclusion in higher education, the AI Careers for Women initiative is systematically closing the participation gap in India's technology workforce.Guided by the national vision of 'Making AI in India and Making AI Work for India,' the AI Careers for Women (AICW) initiative addresses the key challenge of gender inclusion and ensuring women are not just beneficiaries but leaders and builders of India's AI ecosystem.It stands as a proven model for building a genuinely inclusive and competitive AI workforce, ensuring India's growth is powered by the full spectrum of its talent.

About Edunet Foundation

Edunet Foundation is a non-profit working in the area of skilling, livelihood enhancement and STEM education. Founded in 2015 Edunet Foundation is registered under sections 12AA and 80G of the Income Tax Act. EF has pan India presence with central offices in Bengaluru and Gurugram.

All programs delivered by Edunet Foundation seek to raise the employability and entrepreneurial quotients of participants. It works with a diverse audience accessed through the national school eco-system, industrial training institutes, engineering colleges and other academic institutions. Skills imparted include career readiness and future skills like problem solving, communication, collaboration; and technical skills ranging from digital literacy to Cloud Computing to Artificial Intelligence.

Edunet Foundation has been a trusted implementation partner for top global technology companies and has been certified as a Great Place to Work for five years in a row. It also enjoys Special Consultative Status with the United Nations Economic and Social Council.

About SAP

SAP is a global leader in enterprise application and business AI company, founded in 1972 by five entrepreneurial programmers.

The company stands at the intersection of business and technology, where its innovations are designed to directly address real business challenges and produce real-world impacts. Its solutions are the backbone for the world's most complex and demanding processes. SAP's integrated portfolio unites the elements of modern organizations from workforce and financials to customers and supply chains into a unified ecosystem that drives progress.

SAP brings out their clients' best by uniting business-critical operations spanning finance, procurement, HR, supply chain, and customer experience--enabling real-time insights, seamless integration, and intelligent decision-making that drive efficiency, agility, and sustainable growth.

About Microsoft

Microsoft is a leading global company known for its software products, cloud services, and hardware with a mission to empower every person and organization to achieve more.

Founded in 1975, it believes - technology can and should be a force for good and that meaningful innovation contributes to a brighter world in the future and today. Microsoft operates in 190 countries and is made up of approximately 228,000 passionate employees worldwide. For more information, please visit: https://www.microsoft.com/en-in

About LinkedIn

LinkedIn connects the world's professionals to make them more productive and successful and transforms how companies hire, learn, market, and sell. The platform's vision is to create economic opportunity for every member of the global workforce through the ongoing development of the world's first Economic Graph. LinkedIn has over 1.3 billion members and has offices around the globe. For more information, please visit: www.linkedin.com / mobile.linkedin.com

About Indian Institute of Science (IISc)

The Indian Institute of Science (IISc), established in 1909 through the vision of Jamsetji Nusserwanji Tata and the support of the Government of India and the Maharaja of Mysore, is India's premier institution for advanced scientific and technological research and education. Located in Bengaluru on a 372-acre campus, IISc has evolved from its modest beginnings into a globally recognized centre of excellence. For more information, please visit: https://iisc.ac.in/admissions/

Today, the Institute comprises 39 departments, centres, and units, with over 3,500 students and nearly 500 academic and scientific staff. IISc offers a wide range of research-focused programs, including PhD, Master's, and a four-year Bachelor of Science (Research) degree.

Through continuous investments in infrastructure, faculty, and cutting-edge research facilities, IISc continues to drive innovation, advance knowledge, and enhance its global impact.

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