During his address at the Microsoft AI Tour in Bengaluru, Microsoft Chairman and CEO Satya Nadella projected that India would surpass the US as the largest developer community on GitHub by 2027.
With 13.2 million developers, India stands as the fastest-growing market on GitHub, the Microsoft-owned software development platform. Satya Nadella emphasized India’s significant contribution, noting that after the US, India hosts the second-highest number of generative AI (artificial intelligence) projects (GenAI) on GitHub.
Nadella expressed enthusiasm about the transformative impact of the next generation of AI, stating that it is reshaping the development landscape globally, including in India. He commended India’s developer community for leveraging Microsoft’s technology and tools to drive innovation both locally and globally.
Additionally, Nadella announced Microsoft’s plans to introduce its “Code; Without Barriers” initiative in India this month. This program seeks to democratize access to technology skills across the nation, further empowering developers and enthusiasts to thrive in the digital era.
As part of this initiative, Microsoft aims to offer skilling and certification to 75,000 women developers in India in 2024. Launched in 2021 across nine Asia Pacific (APAC) countries, the program aims to bridge the gender gap in the rapidly expanding cloud, artificial intelligence, and digital technology sectors in the region.
The expansion of the “Code; Without Barriers” program aligns with Microsoft’s recent efforts to support developers and enhance skilling initiatives in India. During the announcement on Wednesday, Nadella unveiled Microsoft’s new investment in skilling in India to empower individuals and organizations for success in the AI era. Through its ADVANTA(I)GE INDIA initiative, Microsoft plans to provide AI skilling opportunities to 2 million people in India by 2025.
In January of this year, Microsoft facilitated the career advancement of 100,000 developers in AI through its “AI Odyssey” initiative. This program enabled participants to embark on the journey toward becoming AI experts by acquiring new skills and obtaining Microsoft credentials. Encouraged by the positive reception in India, Microsoft plans to extend the AI Odyssey program to other Asian countries, such as Australia, New Zealand, Japan, Indonesia, Korea, China, Vietnam, and Thailand.
