Microsoft, 1M1B Foundation and MeitY Startup Hub are setting up AI-driven climate skill centres across five cities to train youth and support innovation and employment.
Microsoft, in collaboration with 1M1B Foundation, has partnered with the MeitY Startup Hub to establish Green Skills and Applied AI for Climate Action Centres of Excellence (CoEs) in a move aimed at strengthening India’s workforce for the green and digital economy. The initiative aligns with the country’s broader sustainability and innovation goals.
The partnership was formalised through a Letter of Intent with officials from the Ministry of Electronics and IT and MeitY Startup Hub present.
Under the collaboration, five Centres of Excellence will be set up across Bengaluru, Noida, Lucknow, Shillong and Hyderabad. These centres are expected to function as distributed innovation hubs focusing on climate technology solutions and skill development linked to employment.
According to details shared, the centres will enable students to work on real-world problem statements using artificial intelligence, data and other emerging technologies. Participants will also have access to government datasets, digital platforms and mentorship from industry stakeholders. The CoEs are also intended to act as pre-incubation nodes for Technology Business Incubators and integrate with the startup ecosystem supported by MeitY.
In its first year of implementation in 2026, the programme aims to engage 20,000 youth, with a target to scale up to 100,000 by 2030. It also plans to support over 50 AI-driven climate innovation use cases and provide 10,000 young participants access to jobs, internships and livelihood opportunities. The first centre has already been launched in Bengaluru.
A National Problem Solvers Registry is also being developed as part of the initiative. The registry is intended to create a pool of young innovators whose work can be accessed by government agencies and ecosystem partners to address state and national-level challenges related to sustainability and development.
As part of the programme, 100 high-potential youth-led innovations are expected to receive support through the MeitY Startup Hub ecosystem, including mentorship, incubation exposure, internship opportunities and access to grant-linked support mechanisms.
Manju Dhasmana, Sr Director, Microsoft Elevate-CSR, India said, “At Microsoft, we believe that when technology is combined with purpose, it can drive scalable impact for both people and the planet. Through this initiative, we are focused on building the next generation of innovators and problem-solvers by equipping young people with the skills, tools, and opportunities to apply AI to real-world climate challenges.”
The S. Krishnan, IAS, Secretary, MeitY, stated, “Centres of Excellence are a major leap forward toward creating an ecosystem of future-ready talents in the country. It is our pleasure to partner with 1M1B and Microsoft for this innovative initiative and look forward to its impact. The Ministry is always keen to support such initiatives that have relevance to the nation’s priorities on innovation and skill development.”
Panneerselvam Madanagopal, CEO, MeitY Startup Hub, mentioned, “With Centres of Excellence and the National Problem Solvers Registry, we are trying to create a pipeline where the talent pool of young Indians will connect with actual problems, with the registry being a catalyst for innovation.”
He further said, “Such an effort marks a move from skilling to solving. It is our belief that when young people are empowered with the tools and skills to address actual climate-related problems using AI applications, we are able to foster innovation as well as enable the creation of jobs and even entrepreneurship. We want to turn India’s youth dividend into a climate and AI dividend.”
These Centres of Excellence have been set up as part of the plan to provide a structured journey for the participants to transition from learning to earning. This will be achieved by providing young people with opportunities to learn and work on actual problems using industry applications and startups working with climate technologies, electric vehicles, and renewable energies.
The programme will be implemented by 1M1B Foundation, with Microsoft providing technology support and mentorship through its CSR initiatives. MeitY Startup Hub will facilitate connections with startup networks, incubators and Technology Business Incubators, and support access to platforms such as GENESIS and My Bharat, along with enabling internships and national-level showcases.
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