Microsoft opens new campus in Gachibowli, announces AI training for 1.2 lakh people

Hyderabad: A new campus of Microsoft was inaugurated in the city on Thursday on the occasion of the software giant’s 25 years in Hyderabad. Chief Minister Revanth Reddy and minister for IT and Industries Duddilla Sridhar Babu attended the opening of a state-of-the-art 1.1 million sqft LEED-certified building in Gachibowli which will house 2,500 additional employees.

This is already Microsoft’s largest R&D hub outside US headquarters and the inauguration of the new campus further consolidates Hyderabad’s position as the leading global IT powerhouse.

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.

AI training to over 1.2 lakh persons

On this occasion, Microsoft announced that, in partnership with the Telangana government, it will impart AI training to over 1.2 lakh persons in the State.

Under the first program titled 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 program AI-Govern initiative will further train 50,000 government officials in critical areas such as digital productivity, Generative AI and cybersecurity.

Also, Microsoft will establish and operate an AICoE in collaboration with the Government of Telangana and other stakeholders. This 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.

Rs 15,000 crore investment in hyperscale AI data centres

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

An MoU encompassing all the above initiatives was signed between the company and the ITE&C department and exchanged between the government’s team and the company.

Congratulating Microsoft on the occasion, the CM remarked, “Hyderabad and Microsoft have grown together, and as a proud representative of this 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. And with partners like Microsoft, the future is even brighter.”

The IT minister said, “The new campus and the several AI-related initiatives launched by Microsoft reflect their commitment to sustainability, inclusivity and innovation in the state.”

Rajiv Kumar, MD and president, Microsoft India Development Centre, who was also present at the occasion remarked, “The new building at the Microsoft India Development Centre (IDC) in Hyderabad underscores our commitment to Telangana’s innovation ecosystem and India's vision of becoming an AI-first nation. This expansion will provide state-of-the-art infrastructure to our teams, enabling them to innovate and develop next-generation AI products.”