Microsoft chief executive Satya Nadella met Prime Minister Narendra Modi and announced a major commitment to India’s technological future. After their meeting, Nadella said he was inspired by their conversation about the possibilities of artificial intelligence in the country and confirmed that Microsoft will invest 17.5 billion dollars to support India’s vision of becoming an AI-driven economy.
According to Nadella, this will be Microsoft’s largest investment in Asia to date. He explained that the company plans to help India build the required digital infrastructure, strengthen local skills, and develop sovereign technological capacities so that the country can establish itself firmly in the global AI landscape.
Nadella shared the news in a post on X, thanking the prime minister for the discussion and reaffirming Microsoft’s long-term commitment to India at a time when the nation represents one of the biggest internet markets in the world.
Prime Minister Modi welcomed the announcement and expressed confidence that India will play a central role in shaping the global AI era. Describing his interaction with Nadella as highly productive, he said he was pleased that Microsoft had chosen India for such a significant investment. Modi added that young Indians will use this opportunity to innovate and apply artificial intelligence in ways that benefit the planet.
This marks Nadella’s second visit to India this year. During his earlier trip in January, he had already indicated Microsoft’s intention to invest three billion dollars in AI and cloud infrastructure over the next two years. That plan also includes new data centres and expanded digital facilities across the country.
Nadella has repeatedly stated that India is emerging as a major hub for AI development and that the company wants to ensure people and organisations across the nation benefit from this technological shift.
India has attracted attention from several global tech players in recent years. In October, Google announced one of its biggest investments in India, saying it would spend fifteen billion dollars over five years to build a large-scale AI data centre in Andhra Pradesh. Google Cloud CEO Thomas Kurian said the facility in Visakhapatnam will become the company’s largest AI hub outside the United States.
rime Minister Narendra Modi reacted warmly to Microsoft’s latest investment decision, noting that countries around the world increasingly view India as a major force in the field of artificial intelligence. He described his meeting with Satya Nadella as highly productive and expressed satisfaction that India will host Microsoft’s largest investment in Asia.
In a message shared on X, the prime minister said that global confidence in India’s AI potential continues to strengthen. He added that young Indians will seize this moment to innovate and use artificial intelligence to contribute to a more sustainable future.
This visit marked Nadella’s second trip to India this year. During his previous visit in January, he met the prime minister and soon after revealed that Microsoft would put three billion dollars into India’s AI and cloud infrastructure over the next two years. Nadella had also indicated that the company would establish new data centres as part of this initiative.
He has consistently emphasised India’s growing role in the global AI ecosystem, saying that the country is unlocking new opportunities across sectors. According to him, Microsoft’s latest commitments in infrastructure and skill building reaffirm the company’s goal of helping India become an AI-first nation, ensuring broad benefits for people and organisations.
In recent years, India has become a major strategic location for artificial intelligence projects. Several major American technology companies are expanding operations in the country, aiming to reach new users and tap into India’s strong talent base.
Google, for example, announced in October that it would invest fifteen billion dollars over the next five years to build a large AI-focused data centre facility in Andhra Pradesh. This will be one of the largest single investments the company has made in India. Google Cloud CEO Thomas Kurian described the Visakhapatnam campus as the biggest AI hub the company is setting up outside the United States.
