Gautam Buddha University (GBU) in Greater Noida now hosts a Green Skills & Applied AI Centre of Excellence (CoE), inaugurated on 2 November 2026 by the Government of Uttar Pradesh with 1M1B Foundation (One Million for One Billion), MeitY Startup Hub (MSH) and Microsoft. The centre will train young people to apply artificial intelligence to sustainable manufacturing, renewable energy and electric mobility.
It is the fifth centre in a national network built by 1M1B and Microsoft with MeitY Startup Hub, joining Bengaluru, Lucknow, Hyderabad and Ahmedabad. Digital Learning reported the opening of the Ahmedabad Green Skills & Applied AI centre at LD College of Engineering on 31 October 2026.
What the Gautam Buddha University centre will teach
According to the partners, the Noida CoE will show students how applied AI can make factories cleaner and more productive. Learning modules will cover:
- Energy and resource efficiency, and optimisation of industrial processes.
- Waste reduction, stronger quality control and data-driven decision-making.
- Green skills for renewable energy, electric mobility and resource-efficient production.
Participants will work on innovation-led projects, receive mentoring from industry professionals and be linked to internships, jobs and entrepreneurship. The organisers said the aim is a talent pipeline for the region’s manufacturing and technology base, which the state is courting for electronics and industrial investment. The push sits alongside Uttar Pradesh’s wider ₹1,725 crore Sardar Patel Skill Mission with AI and robotics training announced a day earlier.
Who attended and what leaders said
The launch was attended by Sunil Kumar Sharma, Cabinet Minister for IT & Electronics, Government of Uttar Pradesh; Prof. Rana Pratap Singh, Vice Chancellor, GBU; Prof. Rajeev Varshney, Dean, GBU; and Manav Subodh, Founder and Chief Mentor, 1M1B Foundation.
Sharma said the state wants to use the centre to develop a future-ready workforce, adding that the vision is “not just to create job seekers, but to nurture job creators and entrepreneurs”. Manju Dhasmana, Senior Director, Elevate CSR, Microsoft, described Noida as Microsoft’s second such centre in Uttar Pradesh and tied it to Microsoft Elevate’s “AI + Jobs” focus. Subodh said the goal is to move young people “from skills to solutions” in green manufacturing.
How the national green skills and AI network works
The five-centre network aims to engage 100,000 young people in applied AI and green skills by 2030. Microsoft will contribute AI technologies, digital learning resources, employee mentorship, innovation challenges and capacity-building under its CSR programme, while 1M1B Foundation will run implementation and day-to-day management. 1M1B has also worked with the technical education regulator on green skills, including the AICTE and 1M1B plan for 1 lakh green internships by 2030.
Industry-backed centres of excellence are becoming a common route for universities to add applied AI to their teaching, as seen in the NIIT University and Fractal AI and analytics CoE. Details of the launch are in the official 1M1B announcement, and startup programmes of the MeitY-backed partner are listed on the MeitY Startup Hub portal.
Key takeaways
- A Green Skills & Applied AI CoE opened at Gautam Buddha University, Greater Noida, on 2 November 2026.
- Partners are the Government of Uttar Pradesh, 1M1B Foundation, MeitY Startup Hub and Microsoft.
- It is the fifth centre in a network targeting 100,000 young people by 2030.
FAQ
What will the Gautam Buddha University CoE focus on?
Applied AI for sustainable manufacturing, including energy efficiency, process optimisation, waste reduction and quality control, plus green skills for renewable energy and electric mobility.
Where are the other Green Skills & Applied AI centres?
The network’s other centres are in Bengaluru, Lucknow, Hyderabad and Ahmedabad.
Featured image: Officials and partners at the inauguration of the Green Skills & Applied AI Centre of Excellence, Gautam Buddha University. Photo: 1M1B Foundation (via Outlook India)
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