**Executive Summary**
The Ministry of Labour & Employment signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Microsoft on December 10, 2025, to strengthen job opportunities, AI skilling, and workforce readiness in India. Microsoft will bring over 15,000 employers and partners to the Ministry's National Career Service (NCS) platform and support the development of an Employment Digital Public Infrastructure. The goal is to create a globally competitive, digitally skilled, future-ready workforce.
**Key Points / Main Content**
* **MoU Objectives:**
* Strengthen job opportunities, AI skilling, and workforce readiness.
* Expand access to formal job opportunities.
* Strengthen the international mobility of Indian professionals and youth.
* **Microsoft's Role:**
* Bring over 15,000 employers & partners from its global network onto the Ministry’s NCS platform.
* Expand AI-driven skilling initiatives through DigiSaksham.
* Support India in building an Employment Digital Public Infrastructure (Employment DPI).
* Leverage Microsoft's partner ecosystem to widen employer outreach and enhance NCS adoption.
* **National Career Service (NCS) Platform:**
* Microsoft's Azure and AI capabilities will strengthen the platform.
* The platform will enhance e-Shram analytics and labour market intelligence.
* The platform will modernize employment services and job-matching systems.
* **Social Protection:**
* India's social protection coverage has risen from 19% in 2015 to 64.3% in 2025, benefiting over 94 crore citizens.
* The goal is to achieve social protection for 100 crore citizens by March 2026.
* The e-Shram initiative is bringing millions of unorganised workers into the social protection net.
**Impact Analysis**
**Stakeholder: Indian Professionals and Youth**
* **Impact:** Expanded access to formal job opportunities and strengthened international mobility. Equipping millions of young people with future-ready capabilities in AI, cloud technologies, cybersecurity, and productivity tools.
* **Action Required:** Engage with the NCS platform and DigiSaksham to enhance skills and explore job opportunities.
**Stakeholder: Employers and Partners**
* **Impact:** Opportunity to access the Ministry's NCS platform and connect with a wider pool of talent.
* **Action Required:** Integrate with the NCS platform to post job openings and engage with potential candidates.
**Stakeholder: Ministry of Labour & Employment**
* **Impact:** Enhanced capabilities for the NCS platform, improved labor market intelligence, and modernization of employment services.
* **Action Required:** Oversee and implement the MoU initiatives, leverage Microsoft's expertise and resources, and expand the reach of the NCS platform.
Key Entities Referenced
Ministry of Labour & Employment: Indian government ministry, primary signatory to the MoU, responsible for implementing labor policies and skilling initiatives.
Microsoft: Technology company partnering with the Ministry to provide AI skilling, digital infrastructure support, and access to its employer network.
National Career Service (NCS): Platform of the Ministry of Labour and Employment that Microsoft will enhance and bring employers to.
e-Shram: An initiative to bring millions of unorganised workers into the social protection net.
Employment Digital Public Infrastructure (Employment DPI): Infrastructure supported by Microsoft to enable innovation and interoperable solutions for labour markets.
Ministry of Labour & Employment
Ministry of Labour & Employment Signs MoU
with Microsoft in Presence of Union Minister Dr.
Mansukh Mandaviya and Mr. Satya Nadella
MoU to Strengthen Job Opportunities, AI Skilling, and
Workforce Readiness
Partnership reflects shared ambition to leverage India’s
favourable demographic dividend and create globally
competitive, digitally skilled, future-ready workforce: Dr.
Mansukh Mandaviya
CEO Microsoft praises India’s social security coverage,
extends support to India in building an Employment Digital
Public Infrastructure in next phase
Microsoft to bring over 15,000 employers & partners from its
global network onto the Ministry’s NCS platform
MoU to expand access to formal job opportunities,
strengthen international mobility of Indian professionals &
youth
प्रव तथ: 10 DEC 2025 1:15PM by PIB Delhi
The Ministry of Labour & Employment signed a landmark Memorandum of Understanding (MoU)
with Microsoft in the presence of Union Minister for Labour & Employment and Youth Affairs & Sports,
Dr. Mansukh Mandaviya and CEO, Microsoft, Mr. Satya Nadella, in New Delhi today. This collaboration
represents a major step in expanding employment linkages, scaling AI-led skilling, and preparing India’s
workforce for global opportunities.A central feature of the partnership is Microsoft’s commitment to encourage 15,000+ 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.
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. These efforts will contribute to building a workforce aligned with global standards and
emerging industry needs.
Union Minister Dr. 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. He emphasised that Microsoft’s participation will
accelerate job access, deepen skilling, and enhance India’s leadership in global labour mobility.Had an engaging discussion with Mr. Satya Nadella, CEO, Microsoft. We
welcome Microsoft’s commitment to partnering with India to strengthen digital
architecture.
Glad to share that the Ministry of Labour & Employment has signed an MoU with
Microsoft. This partnership will… pic.twitter.com/hjYflqAmiL
— Dr Mansukh Mandaviya (@mansukhmandviya) December 10, 2025
“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,” Dr. Mandaviya further added.
During the discussion, Mr. Nadella appreciated India’s remarkable expansion of social protection
coverage, noting that India has now reached 64.3% coverage, benefiting 940 million people. He
specifically praised the e-Shram initiative for bringing millions of unorganised workers into the
social protection net and strengthening India’s ability to design worker-centric policies based on real-
time data.
Shri Nadella also expressed Microsoft’s interest in supporting India’s journey toward building an
Employment Digital Public Infrastructure (Employment DPI) and expressed Microsoft’s willingness
to support this journey in the next phase, acknowledging its potential to unlock private innovation and
create interoperable solutions for labour markets at scale.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 MoU will help leverage Microsoft’s partner ecosystem to widen employer
outreach and enhance NCS adoption among industry, training partners, and institutions.
*****
Rini Choudhury/Anjelina Alexander
(रलीज़ आईडी: 2201346) आगंतुक पटल : 1994
इस वज्ञ को इन भाषाओ ंम पढ़: Urdu , Marathi , ही , Punjabi , Gujarati , Tamil , Telugu