New Delhi, 20 Apr, (APAC Media): Microsoft and 1M1B Foundation have launched the Green Skills and Applied AI for Climate Action CoEs in collaboration with MeitY Startup Hub.
As part of this partnership, 5 CoEs will be established in Bengaluru, Noida, Lucknow, Shillong abd Hyderabad.
In the first year in 2026, the initiative aims to engage 20,000 youth and enable 50+AI-powered climate innovation use cases.
The CoEs will act as pre-incubation and innovation feeder nodes for Technology Business Incubators and MeitY’s startup ecosystem.
These centers will also provide 10,000 youth access to jobs, internships and livelihood opportunities.
Students can work on real-world use cases using AI, data and emerging technologies with access to government datasets, digital platforms and industry mentorship.
The first CoE has already been launched in Bengaluru. The National Problem Solvers Registry has also been created curating a pool of top-performing youth innovators.
The top 100 youth innovations developed through the program will receive support through the MeitY Startup Hub ecosystem.
This includes mentorship, incubation exposure, startup internship opportunities and pathway to grant-linked support to help scale promising solutions.
“The Ministry remains committed to support such efforts that align with India’s innovation and skilling priorities,” says S Krishnan, IAS, Secretary, MeitY.
“Through the CoEs and the National Problem Solvers Registry, we are building a nationwide pipeline that connects India’s youth talent to real-world challenges,” informs Panneerselvam Madanagopal, CEO, MeitY Startup Hub.
“Through this initiative, we are focused on building the next generation of innovators and problem-solvers who can apply AI to real-world challenges,” quips Manju Dhasmana, Sr Director, Microsoft Elevate – CSR India.
“Thid initiative reflects a shift from skilling to solving. Our vision is to convert India’s youth dividend into a climate and AI dividend,” concluded Manav Subodh, Founder 1M1B.
