From Skills to Livelihoods: 1M1B Job Mela Connects 350+ Youth to Careers Within Months of AI Centre Launch
Bengaluru, 24 June 2026 — Just four months after its inauguration, the Green Skills & Applied AI for Climate Action Centre of Excellence (CoE) in Bengaluru has achieved its first major milestone, connecting over 350 young job seekers with leading employers through a job mela that signals a tangible shift from skilling to livelihoods.
The job fair, organised by 1M1B (One Million for One Billion) in partnership with Microsoft at the Bengaluru CoE, brought together more than 10 employers from technology, electronics, manufacturing, automotive, aerospace and engineering sectors. The event offered positions across software development, AI-enabled roles, quality inspection, retail, telecom, BFSI and sales.
More than 100 candidates from engineering, ITI, diploma, management and science backgrounds received on-the-spot job offers, while other shortlisted candidates will progress to subsequent recruitment stages for roles across Karnataka, Telangana, Andhra Pradesh and Tamil Nadu.
The CoE, established in partnership with Microsoft and MeitY Startup Hub with support from the Government of Karnataka, was inaugurated by Hon’ble Higher Education Minister Dr. M.C. Sudhakar in February 2026 and became fully operational within a remarkably short timeframe. It has since evolved into a dynamic hub where young people learn to apply Artificial Intelligence to address real-world climate and sustainability challenges while building clear pathways toward employment and entrepreneurship.
A Vision for Scale
The Bengaluru CoE is part of a broader national partnership between 1M1B and Microsoft aimed at establishing five Centres of Excellence across India, engaging 100,000 youth in Green Skills and Applied AI by 2030, and enabling 50,000 employment, internship, apprenticeship and livelihood opportunities nationwide. The Bengaluru centre itself is expected to facilitate thousands of employment opportunities in the coming months through industry partnerships, career-readiness programmes and regular employer engagement initiatives.
Applied AI as a Differentiator
Unlike conventional skilling centres, the CoE is structured around Applied AI — equipping young people not just to understand Artificial Intelligence but to deploy it in solving practical challenges across climate action, sustainability, manufacturing, energy and emerging industries. By integrating technical learning with employability, innovation and direct industry connection, the centre is shaping a future-ready workforce for India’s green economy.
Saffin Mathew, Vice President of 1M1B, said: “When we inaugurated the Green Skills & Applied AI Centre of Excellence earlier this year, our commitment was clear — to ensure that skilling translates into livelihoods. Today’s Job Mela demonstrates that the Centre is already delivering on that promise within just a few months of becoming operational. This is far more than a recruitment drive; it reflects our larger vision of building an ecosystem where Applied AI, Green Skills, industry partnerships and employability come together to create meaningful and sustainable career pathways for India’s youth.”
As the programme expands across India, 1M1B, Microsoft and MeitY Startup Hub will continue strengthening industry linkages, enabling employment opportunities, and building scalable models that connect Applied AI, Green Skills and livelihoods for India’s youth.
