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Microsoft announces £2.4bn India investment after Nadella-Modi meeting

The new investment will focus on scaling Azure cloud and AI capabilities in India, which is already home to over 20,000 Microsoft employees across 10 cities.

Nadella-Modi

Modi and Nadella discussed the company’s plans for growth, innovation, and upskilling in India. (Photo: X/@satyanadella)

MICROSOFT on Tuesday (7) announced a £2.4 billion investment to expand its Azure cloud and artificial intelligence (AI) capacity in India over the next two years.

The announcement followed a meeting between Microsoft chairman and CEO Satya Nadella and Indian prime minister Narendra Modi on Monday (6), during which they discussed the company’s plans for growth, innovation, and upskilling in the country.


Modi had expressed his satisfaction with Microsoft’s investment plans and its focus on technology and innovation.

In a post on X, he said, “It was indeed a delight to meet you, Satya Nadella! Glad to know about Microsoft’s ambitious expansion and investment plans in India. It was also wonderful discussing various aspects of tech, innovation, and AI in our meeting.”

Nadella, who is leading Microsoft’s push to deepen its footprint in India, thanked PM Modi for his leadership. He said the company was committed to making India “AI-first” and ensuring that its initiatives benefit every citizen.

“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,” Nadella stated.

The new investment will focus on scaling Azure cloud and AI capabilities in India, which is already home to over 20,000 Microsoft employees across 10 cities.

It also includes plans to train 10 million people in AI by 2030, building on the 2.4m individuals Microsoft upskilled last year.

This outlay is in addition to Microsoft’s previously announced £64 bn global investment in AI-enabled data centres, set for fiscal 2025.

India has emerged as a critical market for global tech giants, with its growing talent pool and relatively low operational costs.

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