Microsoft Pledges $3B to India for AI

Microsoft is investing $3 billion in India’s cloud and AI infrastructure as well as skilling over the next two years. This is according to Microsoft chairman and CEO, Satya Nadella, who spoke at the Microsoft AI Tour in Bengaluru on January 7.

The tech company plans to not only build new data centers but also to train and upskill some 10 million people in India in the field of artificial intelligence by 2030. These trainings will be carried out in partnership with the government, nonprofit/ corporate organizations and communities, with a view of supporting India in becoming a leading nation in AI.

Microsoft has said it will be partnering with companies across a range of sectors, from railway transport (RailTel) to the education sector (upGrad) and healthcare (Apollo Hospitals). As part of the ADVANTA(I)GE India initiative, Microsoft provided training on AI for an estimated 2.4 million people in India, around two thirds (65 percent) of whom were women, last year alone.

AI usage in India rose from 63 percent in 2023 to 72 percent in 2024, according to a recent IDC study, commissioned by MicThisrosoft.