Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella is scheduled to visit India on February 7 and 8 as part of his annual tour to the country. The primary theme for this year’s visit is set to revolve around Artificial Intelligence (AI) and the vast opportunities it presents.
Puneet Chandok, President of Microsoft India and South Asia, expressed in an internal email a few weeks ago that Nadella’s visit underscores Microsoft’s commitment to leveraging technology to enhance opportunities in India.
The email emphasized the transformative role AI plays in shaping “India’s Techade” and anticipates India and South Asia becoming among the most dynamic markets for technology.
During Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s US visit in June 2023, discussions on the power of technology, particularly AI, were held with leading US and Indian technology executives, including Tim Cook from Apple, Sundar Pichai from Google, and Satya Nadella. Microsoft’s statement at the time highlighted India’s vibrant developer and start-up ecosystem, with a commitment to fostering Indian technology growth that influences both domestic and global markets.
Nadella’s visit to India a year ago involved engagements with key customers, start-ups, developers, non-profit organizations, and students. This year, sources suggest that founders of prominent AI start-ups, including those backed by Lightspeed and Peak XV (Sarvam), Bhavish Aggarwal’s AI startup Krutrim, and several early-stage AI ventures, are preparing to meet Nadella in Mumbai and Bangalore.
Microsoft’s developments in AI, particularly its partnership with OpenAI, have been prominent in recent years. The integration of AI into Office 365 apps and services, the introduction of the Copilot AI assistant powered by OpenAI’s GPT-4 technology, and the strengthening of the partnership with OpenAI by integrating Bing search into ChatGPT are notable milestones.
As Microsoft’s AI initiatives continue to unfold, expectations for a nearly 15 percent rise in revenues in the 2024 fiscal year, outpacing the overall tech sector, are on the horizon.
