Microsoft India and the Government of Gujarat have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) aimed at providing University students and faculty in the state easier access to Information Technology.

This agreement will allow students in Gujarat develop skills on next-generation Microsoft tools and technologies, including .NET, thereby improving their career prospects.

As per the agreement, Microsoft and the Government of Gujarat will work together on several e-governance projects, thereby leveraging IT for programs that impact the common man.

Talking about the initiative, a spokesperson for Microsoft India, said, "Our partnership with the Government of Gujarat is a big step forward towards providing the next generation of India s technologists with in-depth technical skills. It will also help the state in taking its e-governance initiatives to the next level. These efforts will help Gujarat strengthen its position as a leading IT destination in the country, and we are honored that the state has chosen to partner with Microsoft in this journey."

Under the partnership, Microsoft will provide training to students in the pre-final or final year of the Bachelor of Engineering (Computer Science and IT stream) and MCA programs, leveraging the BISAG (Bhaskaracharya Institute for Space Applicatons and Geoinformatics) SATCOM (satellite communications) facility. The faculty in these institutions will also, thereby, get an opportunity to collaborate with experts from across the world, besides getting access to Microsoft s premium technology events. The trained students for their part, will get a chance to work on the e-governance projects undertaken by the State of Gujarat and Microsoft.

Meanwhile, the MoU with the Government of Gujarat is seen as yet another step in Microsoft's long term and sustained efforts to develop and add value to the academic community in the country.