Microsoft plans to invest $3 billion in artificial intelligence (AI) and Azure cloud services in India, aiming to enhance the country's revenue growth.
CEO Satya Nadella announced that the investment will also include AI training for 10 million people in India. He stated, "The investment in infrastructure and skills we are announcing today reaffirms our commitment to making India an AI nation and will ensure that people and organizations across the country benefit widely."
India has become a key overseas market for Microsoft, which has invested billions to expand its operations in South Asia over the past two decades. The competition among tech companies in India has intensified recently as Microsoft aggressively rolls out new AI capabilities.
Additionally, Microsoft operates three data centers in India and plans to build a fourth, expected to be operational next year. The $3 billion investment will help develop an AI computing ecosystem for startups and research communities in India.
India is recognized as one of the largest and fastest-growing developer markets globally, with over 17 million developers using Microsoft's GitHub. Microsoft has also signed an AI memorandum of understanding with SaaSBoomi, a community for B2B startups in India, focusing on promoting entrepreneurship in smaller cities and securing an additional $1.5 billion in funding for AI and SaaS startups.