Sat Apr 26 15:50:56 UTC 2025: ## Microsoft and IIIT-B Launch AI Initiative to Empower Underserved Communities in India
**Bengaluru, India – April 26, 2025** – Microsoft and the International Institute of Information Technology, Bangalore (IIIT-B) today announced a new collaborative initiative, “A4I – The AI Innovation and Inclusion Initiative,” aimed at leveraging artificial intelligence (AI) to address the needs of underserved communities in India.
The initiative, launched at the IIIT-B campus, will focus on developing AI-driven solutions for education, healthcare, and other sectors. Speaking at the launch, Karnataka’s Development Commissioner, Uma Mahadevan, emphasized the transformative potential of AI in achieving sustainable development goals, particularly in reaching even the most marginalized populations. Mahadevan stressed the importance of proactively integrating AI solutions from the outset, rather than solely focusing on reaching the “last mile.”
Kate Behncken, corporate vice-president and global lead of Microsoft Philanthropies, highlighted the rapid growth of the “AI economy” and Microsoft’s commitment to skilling 10 million people in India by 2030, a goal projected to create 2.73 million jobs.
IIIT-B Director Debabrata Das emphasized the importance of equitable access to the benefits of AI. The A4I initiative, he stated, will serve as a flagship program within the institute’s Centre for Accessibility in the Global South, fostering an ecosystem dedicated to creating and scaling digital solutions for pressing societal challenges. The collaboration will focus on building a framework for partnerships and sustained support to ensure the long-term impact of AI-driven innovations.
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