New Delhi, Dec 10 (UNI) Microsoft signed a deal with the Ministry of Labour and Employment on Wednesday in the presence of Satya Nadella, Microsoft’s chief executive and Minister for Labour and Employment Mansukh Mandaviya, committing the US-based giant to bring more than 15,000 employers and partner organizations from its global network onto the ministry’s National Career Service platform.
Both Nadella and Mandaviya described the collaboration as a major step toward scaling AI-driven training programs and aligning India’s workforce with the needs of employers worldwide.
Top government officials said the move is expected to significantly expand the pool of available jobs, particularly in high-growth sectors that increasingly rely on advanced digital skills.
The initiative aims not only to meet India’s rising domestic demand for skilled workers, but also to prepare young professionals for opportunities abroad, strengthening pathways for international mobility at a moment when global talent shortages are reshaping labor markets.
The MoU will also expand AI-driven skilling initiatives through DigiSaksham, equipping millions of young people with future-ready capabilities in AI, cloud technologies, cybersecurity, and productivity tools. These efforts will contribute to building a workforce aligned with global standards and emerging industry needs.
Mandaviya noted that it reflects a shared ambition to leverage India’s favourable demographic dividend and create a globally competitive, digitally skilled, and future-ready workforce. He said Microsoft’s participation will accelerate job access, deepen skilling, and enhance India’s leadership in global labour mobility.
“India has achieved a historic milestone in social protection, with coverage rising to an impressive 64.3 per cent in 2025, benefiting over 940 million citizens. By embedding AI into platforms like e-Shram and the National Career Service, we are fortifying social security and moving closer to our goal of social protection to 100 crore citizens by March 2026,” he added.
Nadella appreciated India’s remarkable expansion of social protection coverage, noting that India has now reached 64.3 per cent coverage, benefiting 940 million people. He specifically praised the e-Shram initiative for bringing millions of unorganised workers into the social protection net and strengthening India’s ability to design worker-centric policies based on real-time data.
