Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella Announces $17.5 Billion Investment to Boost AI Infrastructure and Skills in India
New Delhi: Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella on Tuesday announced a massive $17.5 billion investment to strengthen India’s artificial intelligence (AI) infrastructure and skill development ecosystem — the company’s largest-ever investment in Asia.
The announcement came after Nadella met Prime Minister Narendra Modi at his residence in New Delhi. In a post on X, Nadella wrote:
“Thank you, Prime Minister Narendra Modi ji, for an inspiring discussion on India’s AI opportunity. To support the country’s ambitions, Microsoft is committing $17.5 billion — our largest investment in Asia — to build the infrastructure, skills, and sovereign capabilities needed for India’s AI-first future.”
Expanding on Earlier AI Commitments
Nadella’s meeting with PM Modi comes just days after he reiterated the company’s earlier commitment to invest $3 billion over the next two years in cloud and AI infrastructure in India, including the establishment of new data centers. Microsoft also aims to help train 10 million Indians in AI skills over the next five years.
During the Bengaluru leg of the Microsoft AI Tour, Nadella highlighted India’s accelerating role in global AI innovation.
He stated, “India is fast becoming a leader in AI innovation and is generating new opportunities across sectors. The investments we are announcing today reaffirm our commitment to making India AI-first and ensuring that people and organizations across the country benefit widely.”
Boost to India’s AI Ambitions
The $17.5 billion investment is expected to significantly strengthen India’s digital backbone, enable advanced AI adoption, support sovereign cloud capabilities, and expand access to high-quality AI training.
With this landmark announcement, India’s vision of becoming a global AI powerhouse receives a major push, signaling deeper collaboration between Microsoft and the Indian government in shaping the country’s technological future.