New Delhi: In a huge boost for India, Microsoft Corp announced a massive $17.5 billion (Rs 1.5 lakh crore) investment to help build and develop the country’s “AI first future”.
It’s the American tech major’s largest commitment in Asia, with the announcement coming after Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella met Prime Minister Narendra Modi in New Delhi on Tuesday.
Nadella took to X to thank Modi for an “inspiring conversation” on India’s AI opportunity.
“Thank you, PM @narendramodi ji, for an inspiring conversation on India’s AI opportunity. To support the country’s ambitions, Microsoft is committing US$17.5B — our largest investment ever in Asia — to help build the infrastructure, skills, and sovereign capabilities needed for India’s AI first future,” Nadella wrote on X.
PM Modi welcomed Microsoft’s investment, terming his discussion with Nadella as “very productive”.
“When it comes to AI, the world is optimistic about India! Had a very productive discussion with Mr. Satya Nadella. Happy to see India being the place where Microsoft will make its largest-ever investment in Asia,” Modi said in a post on X.
“The youth of India will harness this opportunity to innovate and leverage the power of AI for a better planet,” he added.
Nadella, during his earlier visit to India in January this year, had said after meeting Modi that the company plans to invest $3 billion on artificial intelligence and cloud infrastructure over the next two years.
The investment, Nadella had stated, will include the setting up of new data centres.
India has emerged as a key global AI hub in recent years as US tech giants look to find new users for their services and tap into fresh pools of talent.
Two months ago, Google announced it would invest $15 billion over the next five years to set up data centre capacity for an artificial intelligence hub in Andhra Pradesh. It’s Google’s biggest ever investments in the country.
