TLDR: AMD has announced a significant workforce development program in India, aiming to train 100,000 STEM graduates in AI and open-source GPU programming over the next three years. Concurrently, the company will provide 100,000 hours of free access to its Developer Cloud, featuring powerful Instinct MI300X GPUs, for Indian researchers and startups. This initiative seeks to democratize AI development, foster an open ecosystem, and support India’s burgeoning startup sector by removing cost and complexity barriers to advanced computing resources.
Advanced Micro Devices (AMD) has unveiled a comprehensive initiative in India designed to bolster open-source GPU programming skills and accelerate artificial intelligence (AI) development within the country. The program, announced on September 5, 2025, will focus on two key pillars: training 100,000 STEM (science, technology, engineering, and mathematics) graduates and offering 100,000 hours of free access to the AMD Developer Cloud (ADC) for researchers and startups.
Over the next three years, AMD plans to equip 100,000 Indian graduates with expertise in AI and GPU programming, with a strong emphasis on open-source development. This training is deemed crucial for the next generation of AI applications and aims to provide hands-on experience with AMD’s ROCm open software stack. ROCm includes essential programming models, compilers, tools, libraries, and runtimes for AI and high-performance computing (HPC) solutions on AMD GPUs, ensuring developers gain access to a globally recognized open-source framework.
Simultaneously, AMD will provide 100,000 hours of free developer cloud access over the next year. This access will grant Indian researchers and startups on-demand use of powerful AMD Instinct MI300X GPUs through a third-party cloud website. This provision is intended to promote open ecosystems and support India’s rapidly expanding startup sector and digital transformation efforts.
Mark Papermaster, Chief Technology Officer and Executive Vice President at AMD, highlighted the strategic importance of this initiative. He stated, “This initiative removes cost and complexity barriers for startups and independent developers by opening access to AMD GPUs for training and development: no hardware procurement, no heavy upfront spend. Democratizing compute will accelerate India’s next generation of innovators and strengthen the open-source community.” This move is expected to provide enterprise-grade AI infrastructure without the need for significant capital investment, thereby reducing complexity and financial barriers for independent developers and emerging companies.
Jaya Jagadish, Senior Vice President and Country Head at AMD India, emphasized the impact on local talent, adding, “India’s engineering talent is already shaping the future of high-performance computing and AI globally. This program ensures they have the most advanced tools and knowledge to lead that transformation.” Participants will be well-equipped to tackle complex challenges in machine learning, data analytics, and high-performance computing applications.
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Access to the AMD Developer Cloud will be facilitated through a dedicated Discord channel, making it easier for eligible individuals and organizations to leverage these advanced computing resources. By combining free cloud resources with practical training, AMD aims to cultivate India’s next generation of skilled AI developers, ensuring they are prepared for the global demand in scalable AI technology.
