Labour Ministry and Microsoft Ink MoU to Strengthen Jobs, AI Training, and Global Workforce Mobility

The Ministry of Labour & Employment on Wednesday signed an MoU with Microsoft to expand employment opportunities, scale AI-driven skilling programmes, and enhance global mobility for India’s workforce. The agreement was formalised in New Delhi in the presence of Union Labour & Employment Minister Dr. Mansukh Mandaviya and Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella, underlining the collaboration between the government and a global technology partner to strengthen job platforms and skills development.

Under the partnership, Microsoft will encourage more than 15,000 employers and partners from its global network to join the Ministry’s National Career Service (NCS) platform — a move expected to deepen access to formal jobs, support high-growth sectors and open overseas opportunities for Indian professionals and young workers.

The MoU also scales up AI-focused skilling programmes through DigiSaksham, aimed at equipping millions with capabilities in AI, cloud computing, cybersecurity and other digital productivity tools to meet emerging global industry demands.

Describing the collaboration as a significant step, Mandaviya said it reflects a shared intention to draw on India’s demographic advantage and create a “globally competitive, digitally skilled and future-ready workforce.” He added that Microsoft’s involvement will accelerate job access and strengthen India’s position in global labour mobility.

Acknowledging India’s sharp expansion in social protection coverage, Nadella praised the e-Shram platform for bringing millions of unorganised workers under the safety net and enabling real-time, worker-focused policymaking.

He also expressed Microsoft’s interest in supporting India’s next phase of building an Employment Digital Public Infrastructure (Employment DPI), saying it has the potential to spur private-sector innovation and deliver interoperable labour-market solutions at scale.

According to the Ministry, Microsoft’s Azure and AI strengths will support efforts to modernise employment services, enhance the NCS platform, strengthen e-Shram analytics and labour market intelligence, and improve job-matching systems. The partnership will also leverage Microsoft’s partner ecosystem to widen employer outreach and drive greater adoption of NCS across industry, training institutions and other stakeholders.

Nadella met Prime Minister Narendra Modi and announced the company’s largest-ever investment in Asia, committing more than $17.5 billion (around ₹1.5 lakh crore) to develop artificial intelligence capabilities in India.

Following the meeting, Prime Minister Modi posted on X: “When it comes to AI, the world is optimistic about India! Had a very productive discussion with Mr. Satya Nadella. Happy to see India being the place where Microsoft will make its largest-ever investment in Asia. The youth of India will harness this opportunity to innovate and leverage the power of AI for a better planet.”

In a separate post, Nadella said, “Thank you, PM Narendra Modi, for an inspiring conversation on India’s AI opportunity. To support the country’s ambitions, Microsoft is committing US$17.5B — our largest investment ever in Asia — to help build the infrastructure, skills, and sovereign capabilities needed for India’s AI first future.”

Nadella also met Ashwini Vaishnav to discuss the role of artificial intelligence in public welfare, emerging technologies and data sovereignty. Vaishnav wrote on X, “Met Microsoft CEO Mr. Satya Nadella. Discussed the use of AI for public good, frontier technologies, and data sovereignty. Microsoft’s landmark investment reflects India’s rise as a reliable global technology partner. This partnership will drive the country’s leap from digital to AI public infrastructure.”