Microsoft to invest $3 bn to boost AI infra in India: CEO Satya Nadella

Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella announced a $3 billion investment to expand cloud and AI infrastructure in India, aiming to enhance regional capabilities and train 10 million people in AI by 2030

Tech major Microsoft has announced a $3 billion investment in India to enhance its cloud and AI infrastructure, CEO Satya Nadella announced on Tuesday.

 

Highlighting India's dynamic technological progress, Nadella said, "I am really really excited to announce the single largest expansion we have ever done in India by putting $3 billion additional dollars to expand our Azure capacity."

 

He emphasised Microsoft's ongoing efforts to broaden its regional footprint across India and reiterated the company's mission to empower individuals and organizations in the country.

 

"To that end it is about being able to ensure that the human capital of this country is able to continue to scale, take advantage of the immense opportunity and potential the technology has. That's why we are very excited to announce today our commitment, which we have always had, to train 10 million people around AI skills by 2030," Nadella added.

 

 

Satya Nadella meets PM Modi

 

Nadella on Monday met Prime Minister Narendra Modi, where they discussed a range of topics, including advancements in technology and artificial intelligence.  

 

Following the meeting, Nadella tweeted about his interaction with the Prime Minister, hinting at Microsoft's upcoming plans. He stated his enthusiasm to build on their efforts to make "India AI-first and work together on our continued expansion in the country to ensure every Indian benefits from this AI platform shift."

 

Prime Minister Modi responded to Nadella’s post, saying, "It was indeed a delight to meet you, @satyanadella! Glad to know about Microsoft's ambitious expansion and investment plans in India. It was also wonderful discussing various aspects of tech, innovation and AI in our meeting."

 

Nadella's Telangana visit  

 

Prior to his meeting with the Prime Minister, Nadella visited Hyderabad on December 30, where he met Telangana Chief Minister K Revanth Reddy and cabinet ministers D Sridhar Babu and Uttam Kumar Reddy. The discussions focused on Microsoft's ongoing investments in Telangana and potential opportunities for future collaboration in the technology sector.  

 

Microsoft was among the first technology companies to establish a presence in Hyderabad and has expanded its workforce in the city to 10,000 employees over the years. Additionally, the company has invested in a 600 MW data centre capacity in Telangana.

 

(With agency inputs)