Microsoft to bring 15,000 global employers to India’s NCS platform under new MoU

The Ministry of Labour and Employment has signed a major MoU with Microsoft in New Delhi in the presence of Union Minister for Labour and Employment and Youth Affairs and Sports Dr. Mansukh Mandaviya and Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella.

The partnership aims to expand job opportunities, increase AI-based skill training and prepare India’s workforce for global jobs.

A key part of the agreement is Microsoft’s plan to bring more than 15,000 employers and partners from its global network to the National Career Service (NCS) platform. This is expected to increase access to formal jobs, support fast-growing sectors and help Indian workers find better opportunities in India and abroad.

The MoU will also strengthen AI-led skilling through DigiSaksham, helping millions of young people learn skills in AI, cloud technology, cybersecurity and productivity tools. The government says this will help India build a workforce ready for future industry needs.

Dr. Mandaviya said the partnership supports the goal of building a digitally skilled and globally competitive workforce. He said Microsoft’s role will improve job access and deepen skilling efforts. He also highlighted India’s progress in social protection.

“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 said.

Satya Nadella praised India’s expansion of social protection, noting that coverage has reached 64.3%, helping 940 million people. He appreciated the e-Shram initiative for including unorganised workers in the social protection system and said it helps India design worker-focused policies using real-time data.

Nadella also said Microsoft is interested in supporting India in building an Employment Digital Public Infrastructure, which can help create new private innovation and large-scale solutions for labour markets.

According to the Ministry, Microsoft’s strengths in Azure and AI align with the government’s plans to improve the NCS platform, e-Shram analytics and labour market intelligence. The partnership will also help increase NCS usage among employers, training partners and institutions through Microsoft’s partner ecosystem.