The AI Careers for Women (AICW) initiative first launched in April 2025 by the Ministry of Skill Development and Entrepreneurship (MSDE) has entered the next phase of execution with the formal launch of a powerful multi-stakeholder alliance led by Microsoft, SAP, and LinkedIn. This alliance is a purposeful step toward building inclusive, scalable, and sustainable career pathways for women in India’s rapidly evolving AI economy.
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 addressing the 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.
The program 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 including Andhra 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 Fellowship is 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, Chairman of 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.
