Microsoft launches AI teacher training program in India, targets 2 million educators by 2030

Microsoft has picked India as the first country in Asia to roll out its Elevate for Educators program—an initiative to train two million teachers and extend AI skills to 200,000 schools by 2030. The announcement was made by Microsoft Vice Chair and President Brad Smith at CM Shri School on Pandara Road, New Delhi, on Thursday. All 75 CM Shri schools in Delhi will adopt the program from the start.The launch has a concrete hook. Starting this academic year, AI and Computational Thinking become part of the school curriculum from Grade 3 under NEP 2020. Elevate for Educators is meant to get teachers ready before those lessons actually begin—training first, tools second.The program runs on three tracks. First, new educator credentials tied to a national AI Literacy Framework, covering teachers across schools, polytechnics, and colleges. Second, a peer learning community of two million educators with a progressive achievement model. Third, physical infrastructure: AI Ambassadors, Educator Academies, and Centers of Excellence built across 25,000 institutions. The program also plugs into DIKSHA and the Skill India Digital Hub. Microsoft has brought in a serious list of partners—CBSE, NCERT, AICTE, NCVET, and the Directorate General of Training, along with state education and skilling departments. Together, the program is expected to reach eight million students across school, vocational, and higher education.Puneet Chandok, President of Microsoft India and South Asia, framed it simply: AI skills matter, but only if people can use them with confidence and judgment. That, he said, starts with the teacher.India has nearly 10 million educators and over 200 million students. For Microsoft, that's not just scale—it's the point.