Microsoft, Autodesk to provide free software to AICTE

Microsoft and Autodesk will provide free software to students and engineering/architecture faculty in colleges and Institutes under the ambit of the All India Council for Technical Education (AICTE).

AICTE Chairman S.S. Mantha signed MoUs with Autodesk Chief Education Officer Joe Asthroth and Microsoft General Manager - Developer Partner Evangelism Moorthy Uppaluri on Friday.

Moorthy Uppaluri, general manager, Microsoft India said that this will provide access to software to millions of students who design projects as part of their curricula and otherwise. The softwares like Window phone, visual Studio, Explorer-9 will be freely available via the AICTE website.

AICTE chairman S.S. Mantha said the softwares will be readily available to institutes from Friday onwards but students can access them individually within two months

The step will benefit nearly 50 lakh students and over 3 lakh faculty all over the country as unique ID and passwords will be provided to them.