Top 8 AI Upskilling Programs for Women in India

By: Women Entrepreneurs Review Team

India’s labor force is gradually shifting toward an AI-powered future. This rapid shift has resulted in the crucial need for professionals to upgrade and reshape their skill sets especially AI literacy.

Women, who are grossly underrepresented in the AI ecosystem, are faced with a greater need to upskill in order to reduce career vulnerability due to various structural obstacles hindering their growth and employment. In order to remain competitive, reduce the gender gap, and boost women’s representation in leadership positions, women professionals must expand their AI readiness urgently.

AI upskilling courses are a popular avenue helping professionals boost their AI skillset. Women have gradually been opting for AI courses. A 2025 report by e-learning platforms, Coursera, suggested that women accounted for 33.5% of participants availing online AI courses in India. The global share of women opting for AI courses is 36%.

The report also highlights that across the top five countries, women are 1.5 times more likely to complete GenAI courses than their male counterparts, giving them an added advantage of being better employed.

Key Considerations before Choosing AI Learning Programs

As number of available AI courses increase, it is important for women in non-technical roles to select the right fit for their needs. Key considerations about the curriculum, skill in focus, duration etc must be accounted for.

Dr Sujata Seshadrinathan, Co-Founder and Director of IT & Process at Basiz Fund Services suggests that combining AI literacy with developing unique human strengths that AI is less likely to replace could be the key to leveraging AI upskilling, especially for women. “Every non-IT professional should build a deeper understanding of how AI systems work, the strengths and limitations of AI models and the possibilities of AI hallucinations, bias, and reliability issues. When to trust AI and when to verify results, as well as ethical and responsible use of AI, are other important focus areas. You don't need to become an AI engineer, but you should be able to effectively collaborate with relevant AI tools,” says Dr Sujata.

Going forward, women professionals who can connect AI insights to business outcomes will be highly sought after. “They will need to combine deep domain knowledge of industries such as healthcare, finance, HR, law, etc., with AI skills,” adds Dr Sujata.

Dr Sujata’s advice for women is to begin with researching how AI can amplify their existing expertise. “Organisations increasingly need professionals who understand Regulatory requirement, Risk management, Ethical AI implementation, Data privacy and AI policy development, where women are already taking a lead,” adds Dr Sujata.

Alka Nikhil Javeri, Founder & Executive Chairperson of Hybrid tutoring platform, Klassroom suggests that women professionals must begin with evaluating what part of their role could be boosted through AI tools. Alka says, “If you're spending hours on data entry, scheduling meetings, preparing reports, documentation, or routine follow-ups, use technology to automate those tasks. Then look at work that requires some level of thinking; research, analysis, content creation, screening resumes, forecasting, or finding patterns in data. Today, AI can help with much of this work.” 

She believes that women professionals need not worry about not possessing deep technical skills to start using AI. “You need to know how to ask the right questions, give clear instructions, and apply the answers to your business or profession,” says Alka.

AI presents the opportunity to use it as an assistant to focus on higher-value work. “Your real value will come from things AI cannot easily replace: judgment, creativity, leadership, relationship-building, decision-making, and understanding people,” says Alka.

Choosing the right type of course depends on one’s career goals and educational background. Here is a quick 5 point checklist to consider:

• Alignment of Career: Pick one that fits into your long-term leadership aspirations and industry interest.
• Relevance of Curriculum: Focus on studying GenAI, AI strategies, automation, and digital transformation.
• Credibility of Institution: Choose established institutions or industry-approved programs that provide credibility.
• Real-World Business Exposure: Opt for programs which offer practical experience through cases and examples.
• Flexibility in Learning and Return on Investment: Considering the mode, duration, certification, and career advantages of the chosen program.

To help women advance their AI expertise, Women Entrepreneur Review magazine has curated a list of relevant AI courses and upskilling programs. From short courses for young students to long term AI programs for women professionals, this list consists of AI courses for varied needs.

Top 8 Women-Specific AI & Leadership Programs

AI Careers for Women (AICW)

Recommended for: Women professionals, students, early-career talent, aspiring AI practitioners

Training area: Artificial Intelligence, digital skills, real-world AI applications, innovation, and career readiness

Course Duration: 3 months

Program format:Online and offline mode

The AI Careers for Women (AICW) led by Edunet Foundation in collaboration with Microsoft and SAP, is a national program built to bridge the gender gap in India’s technology sector. The initiative is supported by the Ministry of Skill Development and Entrepreneurship, and aims to prepare over 100,000 women for technology and AI-driven careers over the next five years.

The highlight of the program is a practical and industry-focused learning model, delivered by instructor-led training, self-paced modules, and immersive AI learning and real-world capstone projects.

AI Career Accelerator for Women in Leadership (Strengthscape)

Recommended For: Mid-to-senior women leaders, managers, and aspiring decision-makers

Training area: AI-driven leadership, decision-making, predictive analytics, digital transformation, and inclusive leadership

Course Duration: 4 weeks or run as a 2-week intensive, featuring 16 hours of live training

Program format:Offline and hybrid mode

AI Career Accelerator for Women in Leadership by Strengthscape aims at empowering women leaders to become fluent in AI technologies and enhance their decision-making skills. Strengthening their digital transformation skills, it encompasses topics such as AI-powered leadership, predictive analysis, and business application of AI to facilitate career development and contribute to organizational success.

With the help of facilitator-led learning, business simulation, and AI-powered learning, participants can acquire valuable experience related to artificial intelligence-powered decision-making, inclusive leadership, and business problem-solving. This is a facilitator-led program with applied projects, collaborative learning, and practical AI implementation.

Women’s Leadership Programme-ISB

Recommended For: Senior women executives, emerging leaders, and aspiring decision-makers

Training Area: Executive presence, strategic leadership, decision-making, negotiation, influence-building, and organizational transformation

Course Duration: 4 months

Program Format:On-campus and online

Women’s Leadership Program by ISB Executive Education (Indian School of Business) provides comprehensive management and leadership programs tailored for working professionals. The program was created to assist women professionals with improving their abilities related to influencing leadership, executive presence, and strategic decision making in complicated workplace settings. A highlight of the program is to assist its members in overcoming issues including workplace biases, few opportunities for career advancement, and lack of networking opportunities.

With guiding women about essential skills like negotiation, leadership communication, strategy, and change management, the program is also aimed at improving self-confidence and mastering skills related to power and leadership impact.

Elevate by ICAIRE (Empowering Women in AI)

Recommended for: Women professionals, students, aspiring AI practitioners, and learners seeking ethical AI expertise

Training area: Artificial Intelligence, data science, cloud computing, Microsoft Azure, responsible AI, and AI ethics

Course Duration: 4 weeks

Program format:Online

The Elevate by ICAIRE (Women Empowerment in AI) Program is a program aimed at fostering inclusive and responsible AI leadership among women through specialized training in the field of AI, data science, and responsible innovation. The program is a four-week long comprehensive course that prepares women for upcoming challenges in the field of artificial intelligence.

The program covers basic concepts of AI with practical exposure, cloud computing, Microsoft Azure, algorithms, intelligent systems, and responsible AI framework. In addition to that, the program also prepares participants for Microsoft AI-901 exam, offers Microsoft-backed certifications and convenes access to a global network of women leaders and AI professionals.

The AICW: LinkedIn Fellowship

Recommended for: Non-STEM women students, educators, and aspiring AI learners with limited or no coding experience

Training area: AI fundamentals, hands-on AI projects, mentorship, industry collaboration, and career readiness

Course Duration: 3 months

Program format:Online and offline mode

The AICW: LinkedIn Fellowship is a nationwide initiative designed to help non-STEM women students and faculty build AI skills and career readiness through hands-on learning, mentorship, and industry collaboration. Supported by LinkedIn and Microsoft, the fellowship aims to bridge the gender gap in AI by creating accessible pathways for women with limited or no coding experience.

Participants gain hands-on exposure to industry-relevant AI tools and work on real-world projects that strengthen practical understanding and professional confidence. In addition to AI fluency and career guidance, the program offers showcase opportunities where fellows can present their AI innovations to industry leaders. Participants also receive industry-recognised certifications and co-branded digital badges, while faculty members benefit from AI-driven teaching and pedagogy enhancement.

AI Careers for Women

Recommended For: Women students in higher education, aspiring AI professionals, and learners from Tier-II and Tier-III cities

Training Area: Artificial Intelligence, digital skills, hands-on AI applications, industry readiness, and career development

Course Duration: 240 hours

Program Format: Hybrid model

In association with Microsoft, the Ministry of Skill Development and Entrepreneurship has launched a national skilling programme named ‘AI Careers for Women’. This is an attempt to skill Indian women enrolled in higher education in preparation for their future AI-based careers.  The initiative is implemented through the Edunet Foundation, which entails that learners shall receive training on artificial intelligence amounting to 240 hours according to the industry standards and the National Education Policy (NEP).

Several female learners will get artificial intelligence training through multiple activities such as artificial intelligence education training, mentoring, internships, career guidance, and job placement in six Indian states through thirty centers of excellence of artificial intelligence and one hundred fifty spoke centers located in the Tier-II and Tier-III cities of these states.

IIM Kozhikode Women's Leadership Programme

Recommended for: Mid-career women professionals and senior women leaders seeking leadership growth and career acceleration

Training area: Leadership development, strategic thinking, negotiation, executive presence, organizational dynamics, and influence-building

Course Duration: 10 months

Program format:Online

The purpose of IIM Kozhikode Women's Leadership Program is the development of the required leadership skills, strategies, and presence of the participant in an intricate business environment. The primary focus of the program is the acquisition of skills necessary to cope with organisational issues and succeed as a leader.

Participants are offered enhanced negotiation skills, team working skills, and the use of these elements to maximize their influence as a leader. The program focuses on women professionals at the middle career stage, as well as on established leaders who want to have an organizational vision. Helps women strengthen leadership confidence, enhance strategic decision-making, and build executive presence to navigate complex organizational environments and drive impactful career growth.

Women-Focused Generative AI Course- IIT Bombay

Recommended for: Women professionals, managers, entrepreneurs, freelancers, and beginners with limited or no prior GenAI knowledge

Training Area: Generative AI fundamentals, AI tools, prompt engineering, business applications of AI, AI strategy, productivity enhancement, and responsible AI

Course Duration: 3-day (12-hour)

Program Format: Online

This introductory course, tailored for female professionals, entrepreneurs, freelancers, and team leaders, will help the participants comprehend and leverage the power of Generative AI for improving productivity and innovation at work.

Women’s AI Upskilling- Road Ahead

It is befitting to say that AI upskilling creates a pathway to influence, adapt, and create lasting professional relevance. With a number of AI learning courses designed specifically for women highlights the broader trend towards creating an inclusive learning environment and developing future-ready leaders. Ranging from beginner-level AI literacy courses to advanced AI leadership courses, women now have access to training that will allow them to develop technical skills and business acumen to stay globally adept.