Microsoft To Skill 1 Lakh Indian Developers In AI Tools With ‘AI Odyssey’

Tech giant Microsoft on Monday (January 8) announced the launch of its upskilling initiative ‘AI Odyssey’, which aims to train 1 Lakh Indian developers on the latest AI technologies and tools.

In a statement, Microsoft said that with initiatives like AI Odyssey, it aims to provide opportunities to developers to build solutions for India’s growth and showcase their talent to solve real-world problems.

The month-long upskilling programme has two different levels, which the participants need to complete by January 31. 

In the first level, the participants will be taught how to use Azure AI services to create and deploy AI solutions for different scenarios. This will give them access to Microsoft resources, code samples, and guides to AI skills. 

The second level will see them test their freshly acquired AI skills by completing an online assessment with interactive lab tasks that earns them Microsoft Applied Skills credentials, a new verifiable credential that will validate their ability to solve real world problems with AI. 

Irina Ghose, Managing Director, Microsoft India, said, “AI is the future of innovation and India is leading the way with its tech talent. The Microsoft Applied Skills credential will help developers demonstrate their competence and creativity in the most in-demand AI skills and scenarios.” 

The completion of the two pronged AI Odyssey will also help the participants get a chance to win a VIP Pass to attend Microsoft’s AI Tour in Bengaluru on February 8,2024.

The company started its AI tour from New York in September 2023. The tour has two different variations which cater to different sets of professionals.

The company will be hosting a tour in Mumbai on January 31, 2024, where it will be hosting senior decision-makers and industry experts on AI. The Bengaluru leg of the tour will see the company host developers, data scientists and cutting-edge technologists to explore AI further. 

The development comes at a time when the success of ChatGPT has led to a generative AI boom in the world and in India. While India has one of the fastest growing AI talent pools in the world, an increasing number of companies and startups are also adopting GenAI to launch new services and features.

As a result, a number of big tech firms are also focussing on AI talent in India. Google, besides rolling out its AI tools in India, last month said it has shortlisted 20 AI-first startups in the seed to Series A stage for the eighth batch of its startup accelerator in India.

Last year, Meta also partnered with government-backed India AI to foster collaboration in the fields of artificial intelligence (AI) and other emerging technologies. 

As per Inc42 data, India is home to more than 70 GenAI startups that raised capital in excess of $440 Mn between 2019 and Q3 2023. The Indian GenAI market is expected to grow to a market size of $17 Bn by 2030 from $1.1 Bn in 2023.

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