Bhavna Mathur, Senior Program Manager for Social Impact and Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) at LinkedIn India, has launched the LinkedIn Fellowship program aimed at empowering women from non-STEM backgrounds across India by equipping them with industry-relevant artificial intelligence (AI) skills.
Launched in partnership with Microsoft, the Edunet Foundation, and the Ministry of Skill Development and Entrepreneurship (MSDE), the programme targets undergraduate women students and faculty specialising in Arts, Humanities, Social Sciences, Commerce, Law, and Media.
The fellowship runs from January to April 2026, culminating in an AI Innovation Summit. Key stakeholders, including government and corporate officials, recognise this initiative as crucial for fostering inclusive workforce development and supporting India’s transition to a green and digital economy.
About Bhavna Mathur and the AI Fellowship Initiative
Bhavna Mathur brings over 15 years of expertise to her role as Senior Program Manager at LinkedIn, where she leads social impact initiatives with a focus on sustainable development, equitable access to economic opportunities, and bridging skill gaps through innovative program execution.
Her academic qualifications include a Master’s degree in Environment and Development Economics from the London School of Economics and Political Science (LSE) and extensive experience with international development organisations, including the United Nations Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO).
Under her leadership, the LinkedIn Fellowship addresses barriers related to skills, networks, and resources that women in non-STEM fields face in entering the AI workforce.
The fellowship provides instructor-led training on AI fundamentals, hands-on projects, mentorship by industry experts, and certifications sanctioned by LinkedIn and Microsoft.
Its design is rooted in creating scalable solutions that connect talent to evolving technology-driven opportunities, supporting lifelong economic growth.
Programme Details and Stakeholder Perspectives
The fellowship specifically targets women who traditionally do not have access to STEM education or resources, aiming to create an inclusive pipeline of AI-ready talent.
The curriculum covers key AI concepts, practical application of AI tools, ethical AI use, and fosters innovation through collaborative projects. Registrations were held from September to October 2025, with the cohort expected to culminate their learning experience at an in-person summit in April 2026.
Representatives from Microsoft highlighted the programme’s role in helping India close the AI skills gap and build a workforce prepared for green and digital technologies.
MSDE officials underscored the importance of public-private partnerships like this to accelerate skill development aligned with India’s National Skills Qualification Framework (NSQF) and drive sustainable socio-economic development.
The Edunet Foundation emphasised the fellowship’s role in combating gender disparity, encouraging women to become leaders in technology and entrepreneurship.
Empowering Workforce Through AI
This fellowship is a flagship initiative within LinkedIn’s Future of Work Fund, which aims to prepare the Indian workforce for the accelerating technological landscape. It is illustrative of a broader, data-driven approach to social impact where corporate, governmental, and nonprofit entities collaborate.
Bhavna Mathur’s prior leadership in international social enterprises and accelerator programs shaped the fellowship’s emphasis on measurable impact and sustainable development goals (SDGs).
The programme exemplifies the integration of AI with social equity objectives, striving to ensure that economic growth driven by AI inclusively benefits diverse communities.
Such initiatives are especially important given India’s ambitious targets for digital and green economies, where women and marginalised groups can be disproportionately excluded without intentional interventions.
The Logical Indian’s Perspective
The launch of Bhavna Mathur’s LinkedIn Fellowship is a significant step toward correcting systemic inequities in access to future-critical skills like AI. It demonstrates the power of multi-sector collaboration to create opportunities that foster not only economic empowerment but social cohesion and harmony.
By focusing on women from non-STEM disciplines, the initiative challenges traditional barriers and expands the notion of who belongs in tech spaces. This aligns with The Logical Indian’s core values of empathy, dialogue, and inclusive progress, urging society to support programs that democratise education and technology.
How can stakeholders across sectors more effectively work together to ensure that underserved populations irrespective of gender, geography, or educational background gain equitable access to emerging technologies and the opportunities they unlock?
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