Microsoft, the world's leading software firm, has announced the launch of the `Academia Accelerator' programme that aims to promote student-driven innovation and entrepreneurship in India.

For the programme, the Indian arm of the Redmond-based software giant has tied up with ten top engineering colleges.

Vinod Anantharaman, Head of Business Management (R&D) at Microsoft India, said the programme aimed at improving Computer Science curriculum in the colleges and encouraging students to develop apps for mobile and other platforms.

Announcing the programme, Anantharaman said, "This is going to be a long-term association.  We are expecting development of 250 apps at the 10 proposed hackathons.  We expect development of at least 30 great apps coming out of the programme."

The Microsoft executive also expressed optimism that the programme would create a deep and long-term relationship between the industry and academia.  The company aims to involve more than four thousand students to develop apps through the programme during the current year.

He added that students would have the freedom to publish their apps on a different mobile platform.  Some of the mobile apps developed in the pilot phase have been published.

India's top IITs, NIT Warangal and IIIT (Hyderabad) are part of Microsoft's ambitious Academia Accelerator programme.