IT giant Microsoft has planned to establish 100 Microsoft Innovation Centres in the country over the next two years.
The
innovation centres will act as "innovation hubs" at select colleges and
technology institutes, providing incubation and expert hands-on support
on Microsoft technology, research and software solutions, to create
student technology experts, a company statement said.
As a first
step, the company has signed MoU with academic institutes across four
states to set up 75 such innovation centres. Microsoft aims to launch
100 Innovation Centres in the country over the next two years, it said.
The
innovation centres will cover five lakh students country-wide, it said,
adding about one lakh students will be certified on Microsoft
technologies.
"The programme will also drive innovation and help
build a product-based software economy by supporting product development
and over 500 start-ups", it said.
The Innovation Centres would
operate on a hub-and-spoke model. The first 14 innovation centres
proposed to be set up are in Hyderabad, Vijayawada, Rajahmundry,
Khammam, Bapatla,Guntur and Tirupati in Andhra Pradesh, Raipur in
Chhattisgarh, Bhopal in Madhya Pradesh, Tiruchirappalli, Vellore,
Coimbatore, Madurai and Salem in Tamil Nadu.
"The Microsoft
Innovation Centres are designed to offer a unique environment conducive
for student entrepreneurship. The Microsoft Innovation Centres can play a
vital role in generating powerful new ideas through training, education
and knowledge transfer", Microsoft India, General Manager (DPE), Joseph
Landes said.
The announcement by Microsoft comes after the India
launch of company's new initiative, YouthSpark, aimed at addressing the
opportunity divide faced by the young people of the world, the statement
added.
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