Microsoft on Tuesday announced its largest-ever investment in Asia, pledging $17.5 billion over the next four years to expand India’s cloud computing and artificial intelligence infrastructure.
CEO Satya Nadella revealed the plan on X following a meeting with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi in New Delhi. He said the investment aims to help India develop “infrastructure, skills, and sovereign capabilities” to support its AI ambitions.
The announcement highlights intensifying global competition among tech giants in India, one of the world’s fastest-growing digital markets. In October, Google committed $15 billion to establish its first AI hub in Visakhapatnam.
Nadella’s three-day India visit includes policy discussions and participation in AI-focused events in Bengaluru and Mumbai. The government has set ambitious targets to become a global AI and semiconductor hub, offering incentives to attract multinational technology firms.
Microsoft, which has been in India for over three decades and employs more than 22,000 people, plans to scale up cloud and data center operations nationwide, including a new hyperscale data center expected to go live by mid-2026.
