Satya Nadella meets PM Modi, commits to spending $17.5 billion

During his recent visit to India, Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella engaged in a significant dialogue with Prime Minister Narendra Modi, focusing on the vast potential of artificial intelligence in the nation. Following their meeting, Nadella expressed enthusiasm about India’s prospects in the AI sector and announced Microsoft’s commitment to invest $17.5 billion to enhance the necessary infrastructure and skills within the country. In a post shared on X (formerly Twitter), Nadella thanked PM Modi for the fruitful discussion, stating, "Thank you, PM @narendramodi ji, for an inspiring conversation on India’s AI opportunity. To support the country’s ambitions, Microsoft is committing US$17.5B—our largest investment ever in Asia—to help build the infrastructure, skills, and sovereign capabilities needed for India’s AI-first future. @PMOIndia". PM Modi reciprocated with optimism about India’s role in the global AI landscape, highlighting the productive nature of their discussion and expressing his satisfaction with Microsoft’s unprecedented investment in Asia. He noted, "When it comes to AI, the world is optimistic about India! Happy to see India being the place where Microsoft will make its largest-ever investment in Asia. The youth of India will harness this opportunity to innovate and leverage the power of AI for a better planet." Additionally, Nadella reiterated Microsoft’s pledge to train 10 million Indians in AI by 2030. The tech giant revealed that it has already reached the halfway point of this goal, having trained 5.6 million individuals over approximately 10 months. This initiative is supported by a partnership with the Directorate General of Training under the Ministry of Skill Development and Entrepreneurship, offering one-year micro degree programs across 33 National Skill Training Institutes (NSTIs) in India. In an earlier interaction, Puneet Chandok, President of Microsoft India, confirmed plans for further investments in AI-ready data center infrastructure in India past 2026. As part of a $3 billion investment strategy, the Hyderabad data center, projected to launch by June 2026, will join existing hubs in Mumbai, Pune, and Chennai, along with two Jio-Azure regions in Maharashtra and Gujarat. Chandok emphasized that these investments are not one-off but rather a commitment to structural growth in AI capabilities within the country.