CM Revanth inaugurates Microsoft’s new facility

Hyderabad: In a major boost to the emerging Artificial Intelligence (AI), global IT giants - Microsoft and Google have announced the establishment of AI Development Centers in Telangana. Google will set up an AI Accelerator to promote AI Startups and the US based Microsoft company was ready to open AI data centers with an investment of Rs 15,000 crore.

Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy on Thursday inaugurated a new campus of Microsoft as the company celebrates its journey of 25 years in Hyderabad. The state-of-the-art 1.1 million sq ft LEED-certified building at Gachibowli, the city's IT hub, would house 2,500 additional employees.

Microsoft employs over 20,000 professionals in India over half of which work in Hyderabad. With the launch of the new building, Microsoft plans to hire another 4,800 employees.

On the occasion, Microsoft also announced another landmark initiative—partnering with the Government of Telangana—to impart AI training to over 1.2 lakh people in the state. Under the first programme ADVANTA(I)GE TELANGANA, Microsoft is launching an AI Foundations Academy to introduce AI education to 500 government schools benefiting 50,000 students. Additionally, the AI-Industry Pro program will upskill 20,000 industry professionals across Telangana. The third programme AI-Govern initiative will further train 50,000 government officials in critical areas such as digital productivity, Generative AI and cybersecurity.

Microsoft will also establish and operate an AICoE (AI Centre of Excellence) in collaboration with the Government of Telangana and other stakeholders. The CoE will establish a cloud-based infrastructure for AI development including a centralised AI Knowledge Hub. This repository would compile research, case studies, and best practices benefiting thousands of employees across the state.

To support the growth of AI, Microsoft has further announced a doubling of its investments in hyperscale AI data centers in the state with an additional investment of Rs 15,000 crore in the coming years. This will make Hyderabad region one of the largest data hubs of Microsoft globally.

Congratulating Microsoft on the occasion, the CM said, “Hyderabad and Microsoft have grown together and as a proud representative of the state, I can say with certainty this is just the beginning. The world looks at Hyderabad today as a technology powerhouse, a city that nurtures innovation and attracts global talent.”