Chief Minister A. Revanth Reddy and IT and Industries Minister D. Sridhar Babu present a memento to Microsoft Chairman and CEO Satya Nadella during a meeting in Hyderabad on Monday.
Chief Minister A. Revanth Reddy recently met with Microsoft Chairman and CEO Satya Nadella during his visit to Hyderabad. The two officials explored ways to strengthen Telangana’s collaboration with Microsoft, aiming to develop a robust global technology ecosystem in Hyderabad, boost the proposed AI City, and partner with the skills university to deliver AI education.
Joined by IT and Industries Minister D. Sridhar Babu and other senior officials, Chief Minister Reddy outlined the state’s infrastructure development plans to the Microsoft head. This includes the regional ring road, radial roads, Future City—with a dedicated AI City—and new manufacturing clusters. He emphasized the government’s initiative to produce industry-ready professionals through the Young India Skills University (YISU).
During discussions on leveraging emerging technologies such as Artificial Intelligence, Generative AI, and Cloud, the Chief Minister and IT Minister expressed the need for Microsoft’s support in creating a thriving ecosystem that will position Hyderabad as a global technology leader, according to the Chief Minister’s office.
Pioneering Presence
Microsoft, one of the first major tech companies to establish operations in Hyderabad over 25 years ago, has significantly expanded its presence, employing 10,000 individuals. The company is currently developing a 600 MW Data Centre across four locations in the region. Chief Minister Reddy expressed gratitude to Nadella and Microsoft for their ongoing support to Hyderabad.
Nadella reiterated Microsoft’s commitment to collaborating with the state government. He praised the Chief Minister’s vision for skill enhancement and infrastructure improvement, stating that this dual focus would help elevate Hyderabad to the ranks of the world’s top 50 cities contributing to economic development.
In addition to the data centre investments in Chandanveli, Mekaguda, and Shadnagar, Microsoft has expanded its India Development Centre (IDC), which plays a crucial role in the company’s product and technology research and development.
Sources reveal that the Chief Minister and IT Minister are hopeful that Microsoft will become the anchor partner for the state’s proposed centre of excellence in cloud computing. They also encouraged the tech giant to establish a dedicated R&D and product development division within the AI City planned for Future City.
The government is keen on further collaboration with Microsoft, especially since it has already begun training government officials on AI. They envision Microsoft’s involvement with YISU to introduce AI and Generative AI programs, believing that the company’s OpenAI initiative could greatly benefit startups and various state initiatives.
Published – December 30, 2024 08:46 pm IST
