Microsoft (MSFT, Financial) is set to invest approximately $3 billion to boost its artificial intelligence (AI) and Azure cloud computing services in India. This move highlights India's significance as a key growth market for US tech companies, given its population of over 1.4 billion and affordable internet access.
CEO Satya Nadella made the announcement at a conference in Bangalore, describing it as India's "largest single expansion" by Microsoft. Part of this initiative includes plans to train 10 million AI professionals in India by 2030. This follows Microsoft's previous commitment to equip 2 million people in India with AI skills by 2025, especially targeting smaller towns and rural areas.
On his recent trip to India, Nadella met with Prime Minister Narendra Modi to discuss technology, innovation, and Microsoft's ambitious expansion and investment plans in the country. This investment forms part of Microsoft’s broader strategy to expand AI infrastructure and data center networks globally. Last week, the company revealed plans to invest around $80 billion in the 2025 fiscal year, with over half allocated to the United States, focusing on data center development for AI model training and cloud-based AI deployments.
