NSDC and Microsoft collaborate to

 NSDC and Microsoft collaborate to empower Indian youth
with digital skills

The initiative aims at skilling over 1 lakh youth in the next 12 months

With a vision to transform India into a skilled nation, the National Skill Development Corporation (NSDC) and Microsoft today announced a strategic partnership aimed at providing digital skills to over 1 lakh youth in the country over the next 12 months. Microsoft will collaborate with NSDC’s eSkill India portal to provide free access to learning resources and conduct digital skilling awareness drives, equipping the next generation of learners with the skills they need to thrive in a digital economy.

As part of the partnership, Microsoft’s learning resource center, Microsoft Learn will be integrated with the eSkill India digital platform to provide access to personalized learning paths and resources that are in-demand in today’s economy and are well-positioned to continue to grow in the future. These learning paths will cover a broad range of skills, from entry-level digital literacy to advanced product-based skilling in critical technologies like AI and cloud computing, providing numerous opportunities for people to reskill and upskill, placing roles that are in-demand within reach of job seekers.

The partnership with NSDC is an extension of Microsoft’s global skilling initiative to help 25 million people worldwide acquire new digital skills needed for the COVID-19 economy.

Speaking about the partnership, Anant Maheshwari, President, Microsoft India, said, “The digital transformation of India is driving demand for tech-enabled jobs across every industry and with it the need for digital skills. We are deeply invested in creating a digital skills ecosystem that prepares India’s workforce for jobs of the future. Our partnership with NSDC is a strong step in that direction, equipping learners with easily accessible tools and resources needed to succeed in a digital economy.”

Commenting on the initiative, Dr. Manish Kumar, CEO & MD, NSDC, said, “The collaboration aims at accelerating online learning for enhancing employability of the young workforce in a rapidly evolving digital environment. With focus on new-age and advanced skills, the initiative will meet the growing demands of our economy.”

The integration of Microsoft Learn on the eSkill India platform will provide learners with customized content and resources, accessible anytime, anywhere. eSkill India and Microsoft will co-host e-skilling events, webinars and virtual sessions across the country to support students, training partners and higher-education trainees enrolled under NSDC’s skill training programs. The sessions will be designed to drive digital literacy and provide insights into technologies like AI, machine learning and cloud computing among others.

Flipkart Group and Arvind Fashions Strengthen

Flipkart Group and Arvind Fashions Strengthen Partnership

Focus on addressing the needs of the fashion-conscious Indian youth

The Flipkart Group and Arvind Fashions (AFL) today strengthened their partnership, through an investment of INR 260 crore by the Flipkart Group to purchase a significant minority stake in AFL's recently formed subsidiary Arvind Youth Brands which owns the Flying Machine brand. This investment builds on the long-standing engagement between the two organizations that have been working together for several years to address the demands and needs of the fashion-conscious youth in India.

An iconic Indian brand with a 40-year legacy, Flying Machine has been retailing on the Flipkart Group platforms of Flipkart and Myntra for more than six years. A denim-first brand, Flying Machine is amongst the leading denim brands in India. With its brand legacy, design sensibilities and youth appeal, the brand is seen as a strong style partner across metros and smaller tier towns. Through this investment, the Flipkart Group and Arvind Fashions will work collaboratively to identify opportunities and synergies to innovate and develop products with strong value propositions at attractive price points.

Speaking on the investment, Kalyan Krishnamurthy, Chief Executive Officer, Flipkart Group, said, "Flying Machine is a brand that is known in households across India, popular with the youth and synonymous with value and style. Through this investment, we look forward to partnering with the team at Arvind Youth Brands to continue to grow the market for its portfolio of products and enhance the strong brand equity that has been built over the last few decades."

J. Suresh, Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer of Arvind Fashions, said, "The partnership with the Flipkart Group will help us accelerate our online growth strategy as we focus our efforts on developing an omni-channel retail approach for Arvind Youth Brands and Flying Machine. Given the strong existing relationship with the Flipkart Group, and their presence in online fashion, it was an obvious choice for us to enter into this engagement through which Flipkart and Myntra will be our preferred online partner for the Flying Machine brand, while we continue to grow our offline sales through channels like exclusive brand stores, department stores and multi-brand stores."

The transaction is subject to customary conditions precedent.

Metta Capital Advisors acted as the financial advisors to AFL for this transaction.