Microsoft India and Data Security Council of India (DSCI) have started CyberShikshaa programme to train women in cyber security for free over a period of next three years.
Under this initiative, 1,000 science and engineering graduate women between the age group of 20-27 will be trained in ten locations across India and offered employment opportunities.
CyberShikshaa programme is supported by the Ministry of Information Technology (MeitY)'s Information Security Education & Awareness (ISEA). It will be rolled out first in Noida, Patna, Hyderabad and Mohali.
Ajay Prakash Sawhney, Secretary of MeitY, said, "Bridging the skill gap in the niche domain of cybersecurity is a national imperative. There has been an increased participation from industry, government and academia to develop cybersecurity skills required for India. This programme will not only provide the impetus for bridging the skill gap but will also help draw more women into cybersecurity domain."
Anant Maheshwari, President of Microsoft India, stated, "As India leapfrogs into the next phase of growth, we see a multi-fold growth of digital assets. This increases the need for an enhanced cybersecurity infrastructure and advanced security solutions. India is also fast emerging as a prime destination for offshore cybersecurity R&D and security operations centers. This will lead to the next wave of jobs – one we must be ready for with a skilled workforce. CyberShikshaa is the first step towards this."
Rama Vedashree, CEO of DSCI, also said, "Cybersecurity skills development and enabling growth opportunities for women talent in cybersecurity domain is a key imperative for government and industry. DSCI is pleased to partner with Microsoft in developing industry-ready women cybersecurity professionals through the CyberShikshaa program."
