Highlight: Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella announces skilling and certification for 75,000 women developers in India, emphasizing the company's commitment to diversity and economic empowerment through technology.
In a groundbreaking commitment to fostering diversity and empowering women in technology, Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella announced that the company aims to provide skilling and certification to 75,000 women developers in India throughout the year 2024. The announcement was made during Microsoft's "Microsoft Build" event in Bengaluru on January 8, where Nadella emphasized the pivotal role of skills in creating economic opportunities for an increasingly skilled workforce.
Nadella, who arrived in Mumbai on February 7 for a two-day visit, underscored the theme for 2024 as Artificial Intelligence (AI) and the opportunities emerging from it. The initiative aligns with Microsoft's broader goal of promoting inclusivity and narrowing the gender gap in the fast-evolving realms of cloud, artificial intelligence (AI), and digital technology.
This skilling initiative represents an expansion of Microsoft's existing program named "Code; Without Barriers," which was launched in September 2021. Collaborating with 13 companies across nine Asia Pacific countries, the program was designed to address the gender gap and provide support, training, and networking opportunities for female developers, coders, and professionals in technical roles.
"The program provides support, training, and networking opportunities for female developers and coders, and those in other technical roles to contribute to inclusive economic growth, encourage innovation, and reflect the region’s social makeup," Microsoft stated in a release.
During his visit, Nadella also highlighted the noteworthy contribution of Karya.ai, an initiative incubated at Microsoft Research, which is playing a pivotal role in taking AI jobs to rural India. Karya.ai focuses on creating datasets in various Indian languages to train AI models and conduct research, simultaneously generating employment opportunities in rural areas.
Manu Chopra, CEO, and co-founder of Karya.ai, shared insights into the initiative, stating that his company pays workers 20 times above the Indian minimum wage, approximately Rs 400 per hour, for recording sentences on smartphones. Importantly, workers are entitled to royalties if the data generated by Karya.ai is resold.
Nadella's vision for India goes beyond skilling initiatives; it centers around empowering every individual and organization, starting with the developer community. The commitment to fostering an inclusive tech ecosystem aligns with Microsoft's broader mission of empowering every person and organization globally.
As technology continues to shape the future, Microsoft's initiatives in India stand as a testament to the company's dedication to leveraging AI and technology for societal progress. The pledge to skill and certify 75,000 women developers not only addresses the immediate skills gap but also sets the stage for a more diverse and inclusive tech landscape in India, reflecting the true potential of innovation when driven by a variety of perspectives.
No comments:
Post a Comment