Labour Ministry signs MoU with Microsoft to boost employment opportunities for India's workforce

The MoU will also expand AI-driven skilling initiatives through DigiSaksham

The Ministry of Labour and Employment signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Microsoft on Wednesday to boost employment opportunities for India’s workforce and enhance their skills, an official release said.

"This collaboration represents a major step in expanding employment linkages, scaling AI-led skilling, and preparing India’s workforce for global opportunities," the release said.

"A central feature of the partnership is Microsoft’s commitment to encourage 15,000 plus employers and partners from its extensive international network onto the Ministry’s National Career Service (NCS) platform. This will significantly broaden formal job access, support high-growth sectors, and enable India to develop a skilled workforce not only for domestic demand but also for the world, strengthening pathways for international mobility of Indian professionals and youth," it said.

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.

At the signing of the MoU, Union Labour Minister Mansukh Mandaviya welcomed the partnership, noting that it reflects a shared ambition to leverage India’s favourable demographic dividend and create a globally competitive, digitally skilled, and future-ready workforce, it

He emphasised that 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 from 19% in 2015 to an impressive 64.3% in 2025, benefiting over 94 crore 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,” Mandaviya added.

Microsoft’s strong Azure and AI capabilities align with Ministry’s priorities for strengthening the NCS platform, e-Shram analytics and labour market intelligence, and modernising employment services and job-matching systems, the release said.

“The MoU will help leverage Microsoft’s partner ecosystem to widen employer outreach and enhance NCS adoption among industry, training partners, and institutions,” it said.