Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella attends an event with tech CEOs and senior officials, including Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, in the East Room of the White House in Washington on June 22, 2023.
Chris Kleponis | CNP | Bloomberg | Getty Images
microsoft announced on Tuesday that it will invest $17.5 billion in cloud and artificial intelligence infrastructure in India, making it the US tech giant’s biggest investment in Asia.
The company said the investments aimed at expanding its hyperscale infrastructure, incorporating AI into national platforms and improving workforce readiness will be made over four years, building on a $3 billion commitment it made in January.
The announcement came after a meeting between Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, where the two discussed India’s AI ambitions. Mr. Modi also met with other tech CEOs on Tuesday. intelNoributan.
In a social media post, Nadella thanked Prime Minister Modi and said Microsoft’s investment “will help build the infrastructure, skills and sovereign capabilities needed for India’s AI-first future.”
The move comes as India seeks to catch up with AI, with Prime Minister Modi emphasizing building an inclusive technology ecosystem and AI sovereignty. The country recently received $15 billion in data center investment commitments from other countries. google $8 billion from Amazon Web Services;
Prime Minister Modi mentioned Microsoft’s investment in a post on X, saying, “India’s youth will seize this opportunity to innovate and harness the power of AI for a better planet.”
Microsoft plans to use the funding to expand its existing cloud and AI infrastructure to serve customers across all regions of India. We currently offer Sovereign Public Cloud and Sovereign Private Cloud services in multiple regions.
The company added that it is doubling its January commitment to train 20 million Indians in AI by 2030, aiming to grow and upskill more than 22,000 employees in the country.
Microsoft also announced on Tuesday that it will integrate its Azure AI capabilities into two major digital public platforms: India’s Ministry of Labor and Employment and the National Career Service.
Ashwini Vaishnaw, Union Minister of Electronics and Information Technology, said the investment is a sign of India’s emergence as a trusted global technology partner and accelerating the transition from digital to AI in public infrastructure.
India lags far behind world leaders in advanced technologies such as chips and artificial intelligence, but its huge consumer market and public funding are attracting big tech companies.
Under the India Semiconductor Mission, the country has approved 10 chip projects with a total investment of over $18 billion.
US chip designer Intel on Monday signed a deal with Mumbai-based Tata Electronics to collaborate on chip products in the country, including products for AI applications.
