Satya Nadella, Chairman and CEO, Microsoft, reportedly revealed that it intends to invest $3 billion in developing data centres and other digital infrastructure in India, marking its largest commitment in Asia. The company plans to allocate the funds over the next two years to build new data centres and upgrade existing facilities. Additionally, the company aims to train 10 million individuals over the next five years to accelerate AI innovation in India. 

Nadella, a Mangalore University graduate, emphasized the strategic importance of this initiative in strengthening India's AI ecosystem. This investment follows similar initiatives by US cloud providers, with Microsoft having previously invested $2.9 billion in Japan. Nadella highlighted India's rising role in AI innovation and reaffirmed Microsoft’s commitment to positioning the country as an AI-first nation.

Microsoft currently operates data centre regions in Pune, Chennai, and Mumbai, and a new facility is under development in Hyderabad, set to be operational by 2026. Analysts predict a 66% growth in India's data centre capacity by 2026, driven by AI demand and the rollout of 5G. Microsoft’s investment is expected to fuel this growth, positioning India as a key player in global digital infrastructure.