By Serdar Dincel
ISTANBUL (AA) - Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella announced on Tuesday the company's plan to invest $3 billion in India over the next two years to enhance its artificial intelligence (AI) and cloud capacity, including the establishment of new data centers.
This investment is intended to drive AI innovation in India, and Microsoft will also help boost the country's long-term competitiveness by training 10 million people in AI skills over the next five years, the technology conglomerate said in a statement.
"India is rapidly becoming a leader in AI innovation, unlocking new opportunity across the country. The investments in infrastructure and skilling we are announcing today reaffirm our commitment to making India AI-first, and will help ensure people and organizations across the country benefit broadly," Indian-born Nadella said, a day after he met Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi in New Delhi.
After the meeting, Nadella said on X: "Excited to build on our commitment to making India AI-first and work together on our continued expansion in the country to ensure every Indian benefits from this AI platform shift." He also spoke at Microsoft’s AI event in Bengaluru on Tuesday.
India is a key growth market for US tech giants, and many executives have visited the country in recent months.
Launched in 2024, the ADVANTA(I)GE India initiative initially aimed to train 2 million citizens in AI by 2025. The program has exceeded expectations, training 2.4 million people within a year, according to Microsoft.