Snowflake, Nasscom to train 100,000 Indians in data, AI over two years

Artificial Intelligence (AI) data cloud company Snowflake on Friday announced a collaboration with FutureSkills Prime, a digital skilling initiative by Nasscom and the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY), to drive data and AI skills.

With this, Snowflake and Nasscom expect to enrol over one lakh professional and student learners onto Snowflake's free, on-demand, entry-level data and AI skills courses over the next two years.

This initiative is supported by Snowflake's global program 'One Million Minds + One Platform' aimed towards global AI upskilling.

As per Nasscom, India leads in the AI skills penetration and holds first and fifth ranks globally in AI talent concentration and AI scientific publications, respectively.

The current gap, however, between demand and supply is about 51 per cent, and, by 2026, the estimated demand for professionals in India is expected to exceed one million.

"As companies across industries increasingly rely on data to drive AI, innovation, and business growth, the demand for skilled professionals in fields like Data Engineering, Data Science, and AI/ML is expected to increase with a growing demand for critical roles such as Data Analysts, Data Architects, and Data Administrators...," according to a release.

Through this collaboration, Snowflake and Nasscom are addressing the critical skills gaps by providing access to high-quality training and resources, ensuring that data and AI professionals are fully equipped with the necessary tools to succeed in the ever-evolving data landscape, the release added.

By joining the FutureSkills Prime platform, Snowflake will gain access to over 2,100 institutions within Nasscom's Academia network.

"Snowflake's training courses will be integrated into the university curriculum as either mandatory or optional programs in alignment with India's National Education Policy (NEP) 2020," the release said.

These courses are available to undergraduate and postgraduate students (starting from their second year in degree or diploma programs, aged 16 and above), as well as working professionals looking to enhance their careers.

Delivered through the FutureSkills Prime platform, these comprehensive courses provide a structured pathway to developing expertise in high-demand technology fields.