Microsoft announced its partnerships with the government and industry leaders over artificial intelligence (AI) on Wednesday. The announcement was made by company CEO Satya Nadella in New Delhi on day two of its AI Tour. On Tuesday, Nadella announced the tech giant's intentions to invest $3 billion (roughly Rs. 25,753 crores) in the country to develop AI infrastructure. The company also highlighted that India's AI usage increased significantly between 2023 and 2024 and it now exceeds global averages.
Microsoft's Strategic AI Partnerships in India
In a newsroom post, the Redmond-based tech giant detailed the various partnerships signed by Microsoft. The company has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the government of India as well as companies such as RailTel, Apollo Hospitals, Bajaj Finserv, Mahindra Group, and upGrad. All of the partnerships focus on cloud and AI innovation.
Citing an IDC study commissioned by Microsoft, the post claimed that India's AI usage jumped from 63 percent in 2023 to 72 percent in 2024. The company also claimed that many organisations were monetising AI, with 79 percent using it for productivity and 66 percent for functional use cases.
Looking at this potential, the company today formally revealed the strategic partnerships it has made with various stakeholders in the country. Microsoft's MoU with India AI, a division of Digital India Corporation, focuses on collaboration to advance AI and emerging technologies in India. The two entities will provide AI-focused skills to 5,00,000 individuals including students, educators, developers, government officials, and women entrepreneurs, by 2026.
Microsoft and India AI will also establish an AI Centre of Excellence dubbed ‘AI Catalysts' to promote rural AI innovation and support 1,00,000 AI developers and innovators via hackathons, community-building solutions, and an AI-focused marketplace. Additionally, the duo will also set up AI Productivity Labs in 20 National Skill Training Institutes (NSTIs) in 10 states to provide foundational courses in AI to 20,000 educators.
Apart from this, Microsoft also signed partnerships with RailTel focusing on digital, cloud, and AI advancement in the Indian railways and public sector space. With Apollo Hospitals, Microsoft will co-develop AI solutions and support digital transformation and research on topics such as disease progression, and genomics. The tech giant has joined hands with Mahindra Group to transform Automotive, Farm, and Financial Services with AI by developing a range of AI products.
