India – January 7, 2025: During his visit to India, Microsoft Chairman and CEO Satya Nadella announced a strategic investment of US $3 billion aimed at enhancing the cloud and AI infrastructure in India over the next two years. This initiative includes the establishment of new data centers.
Furthermore, Microsoft commits to elevating the nation’s competitive edge by training 10 million individuals in AI skills over the next five years as part of the second edition of its ADVANTA(I)GE India program.
Satya Nadella stated, “India is rapidly emerging as a leader in AI innovation, unlocking new opportunities across diverse sectors. Today’s announcement reinforces our commitment to fortifying India’s AI-first framework, ensuring that both individuals and organizations can leverage these advancements extensively.”
Advancing an AI-first Ecosystem Responsibly
Microsoft’s approach towards responsible AI is based on six core principles: fairness, reliability and safety, privacy and security, inclusiveness, transparency, and accountability.
Microsoft aims to democratize access to AI, empowering organizations and individuals to develop and deploy AI solutions that serve public interests and adhere to its AI Access Principles and responsible AI standards. The expansion of Microsoft’s cloud and AI infrastructure will occur across existing and new data center campuses in India.
Currently, Microsoft operates three data center regions in India, with a fourth anticipated to launch in 2026. This investment is targeted at developing a robust AI computing ecosystem tailored to support the burgeoning demands from India’s rapidly evolving AI startup scene and research community.
ADVANTA(I)GE INDIA: Training 10 Million Indians by 2030
As the nature of the jobs evolves, proficiency in AI is becoming an essential part of the skills. Indian professionals have been quick to embrace learning and skill acquisition.
Notably, there has been a 122% year-over-year increase in AI skills added by Indian users, significantly outpacing the global average of 71%. Launched in 2024, the ADVANTA(I)GE India initiative aimed to train two million individuals in AI skills by 2025.
Microsoft has exceeded this target ahead of schedule, successfully training 2.4 million individuals in less than a year — with 65% being women and 74% originating from tier II and tier III cities, thereby ensuring broad and inclusive access.
Today, Microsoft announced the next milestone: to equip an additional 10 million individuals with essential AI skills by 2030.
Jayant Chaudhary, Minister of State (Independent Charge), Ministry of Skill Development and Entrepreneurship, commented, “India’s dynamic youth and technological talent are pivotal for shaping the future of AI. By equipping our workforce, especially women and youth, with advanced skills, we are laying the foundation for an AI-ready India capable of digital leadership and sustainable economic development.”
Cultivating the AI Ecosystem for Developers, Startups, and Digital Natives
Today, Microsoft Research (MSR) Lab announced the launch of an AI Innovation Network to deepen its commitment to fostering the AI ecosystem in India. MSR will build new collaborations, mainly with digital natives, to accelerate the transition from research to real, usable business solutions.
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