New Delhi [India], December 10 (ANI): The Ministry of Labour and Employment signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Microsoft on Wednesday in New Delhi, in the presence of Union Minister for Labour & Employment and Youth Affairs & Sports Mansukh Mandaviya and Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella. The partnership aims to expand employment linkages, scale AI-driven skilling, and prepare India’s workforce for global opportunities.
A key aspect of the collaboration is Microsoft’s commitment to bring over 15,000 employers and partners from its international network onto the Ministry’s National Career Service (NCS) platform. This initiative will broaden formal job access, support high-growth sectors, and enhance pathways for the international mobility of Indian professionals and youth.
The MoU also focuses on expanding AI-led skilling initiatives through DigiSaksham, equipping millions of young people with skills in AI, cloud technologies, cybersecurity, and productivity tools. These efforts aim to align India’s workforce with global industry standards and emerging market needs.
Union Minister Mandaviya highlighted that the partnership leverages India’s demographic dividend to create a digitally skilled, future-ready workforce. He noted that India’s social protection coverage has risen from 19% in 2015 to 64.3% in 2025, benefiting over 94 crore citizens, and stressed that AI integration into platforms like e-Shram and NCS will further strengthen social security and employment outcomes.
Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella praised India’s expansion of social protection coverage and the e-Shram initiative for integrating millions of unorganised workers into the social protection net. He also expressed Microsoft’s commitment to supporting India in building an Employment Digital Public Infrastructure (Employment DPI), leveraging AI and Azure capabilities to enhance NCS adoption, labour market intelligence, and employer outreach.
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