With the global unemployment rate at 12.7% (Generation Opportunity) and the employability rate in the Indian IT services sector falling three times, that is, from 29.41% to 16.36% (Aspiring Minds) last year, there is a clear need for educational institutions to produce industry-ready candidates as this may become an impediment for growth due to lack of trained manpower for product-based and research-based projects, as the IT industry in India matures. It is imperative that skill building be a focus for India’s progressive growth and to bridge the opportunity divide amongst youth in India.

Microsoft’s aim is to provide the gifted and technically-skilled developer community with a supportive environment to drive path-breaking innovation globally. Windows 8, Windows Phone 8, Office 2013, Office 365 and Windows Azure platforms open up countless opportunities for developers to shape the app ecosystem across multiple devices, giving developers the chance to maximize their revenues.

Recently, Microsoft hosted Windows AppFest at Bangalore and made history by setting a world record for the ‘Most Participants in a Software Development Marathon in One Location.’ The record has been set at 2567 developers coding non-stop for 18 hours. Developers from India and beyond participated in the event for building, designing and testing apps for the Windows platform with global mentoring and technical resources at hand. Other initiatives like ‘Tech Days,’ the ‘I Unlock Joy,’ ‘Mobile Acceleration Week’ and the first-ever women app developers event in India highlight Microsoft’s commitment towards developers, IT professionals and students to seize and lead innovation by building successful applications on Windows platform.

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