The company also announced a range of plans to train and develop the AI ecosystem in the country.

Microsoft has announced a $3bn investment in India focused on cloud and AI infrastructure. The investment, revealed by company chairperson and CEO Satya Nadella in Bengaluru, India, today (7 January), will be spread over the next two years and establish new data centres the country.

Moreover, according to the software giant’s latest announcement, Microsoft will also aim to upskill 10m Indians in AI by 2030 as part of its ADVANTA(I)GE programme.

“India is rapidly becoming a leader in AI innovation, unlocking new opportunity across the country,” said Nadella.

“The investments in infrastructure and skilling we are announcing today reaffirm our commitment to making India AI-first, and will help ensure people and organisations across the country benefit broadly.”

Microsoft employs more than 20,000 people in India and operates three data centre campuses in the country, and according to the company, its fourth Indian data centre is set to be launched by 2026.

The company’s ADVANTA(I)GE programme was launched in India in 2024 as part of its Global Skills for Social Impact charter and sought to skill 2m Indians in AI by 2025. Its second iteration announced today, follows a successful first edition which surpassed its target, upskilling 2.4m Indians in under a year.

Moreover, Microsoft Research Lab, the company’s research subsidiary announced an AI Innovation Network with the aim of expanding collaborations with businesses in the country. The collaborative research efforts will provide businesses with access to the Lab’s research and expertise while allowing Microsoft to deploy its technologies through the companies.

Meanwhile, Microsoft also announced an AI memorandum of understanding with SaasBoomi, a B2B startup community in the country. According to the company, Microsoft and SaaSBoomi aim to impact more than 5,000 startups and 10,000 entrepreneurs and upskill more than 150,000 startup employees through focused workshops over the next five years.

Puneet Chandok, the president of Microsoft India and South Asia said: “In the last 12 months Microsoft has been a copilot to making AI a reality in India, taking it from boardrooms to classrooms, commerce to communities, and finance to farmers.

“Today’s announcement strengthens our belief in India’s potential and our resolve to equip the country with the resources and future-ready skills needed to excel in the global marketplace.

“We will continue to use AI to unlock possibilities for the next few decades and ensure communities across the country have access to the compute they need to prosper in the AI era.”

Yesterday (6 January), Digital Edge, a Singapore-based data centre company announced that it raised more than $1.6bn to meet the increasing cloud and AI demand across the Asia-Pacific region.

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