Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella ‘Thrilled’ About India’s Expanding Data Centre Capacity, Discusses Major Investments With PM Modi

Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella was ecstatic about the data center infrastructure that the company is constructing in India and also said that he had a talk with the Prime Minister of India, Narendra Modi, about the tech giant's long-term investment plans during his trip to New Delhi.

Nadella has made a commitment of $17.5 billion investment through 2030 to help India gain AI-first capabilities, such as advanced data infrastructure and sovereign cloud systems. This is the third time in two months that Microsoft has made a significant AI-based investment in India, which shows that the company has a lot of confidence in India's digital transformation.

Speaking at a Microsoft event in New Delhi, Nadella highlighted rapid expansion of the company’s cloud footprint.

“We’re thrilled about all the data centre capacity that is coming live. We already have operations in Pune, Chennai and Mumbai. Our India South Central cloud region in Hyderabad is coming up next year,” he said.

The new Hyderabad-based India South Central cloud region, scheduled to go live by mid-2026, is expected to significantly boost the country’s AI compute availability and cloud resilience.

Focus on AI, Cybersecurity and Sovereign Cloud

As India prepares to implement the Digital Personal Data Protection (DPDP) Act, Microsoft is introducing sovereign public cloud and sovereign private cloud options designed for Indian customers, including government and regulated industries.

Nadella stressed the need for strong cybersecurity measures alongside data sovereignty.

“With sovereignty, you also want world-class cybersecurity and cyber resilience,” he noted.

This investment follows similar large-scale commitments from global tech leaders, including Amazon’s announced $35 billion investment in India by 2030.

Microsoft says its India-focused strategy aims to strengthen digital infrastructure, accelerate AI adoption, and support India’s ambitions of becoming a global AI innovation hub.