Satya Nadella, CEO and Chairman at Microsoft, announced the strategic investment in India with plans to train 10 million people by 2030 regarding the Artificial Intelligence (AI) technology.
Microsoft Corporation (NASDAQ: MSFT), one of the most valuable technology-oriented companies with a valuation of over $3.1 trillion, has announced a strategic investment into the Indian market. Over the next two years, Microsoft intends to inject $3 billion into India to enhance the country’s cloud and Artificial Intelligence (AI) infrastructure.
The significant investment will equip 10 million people in India over the next five years with AI skills, which is part of the company’s ADVANTA(I)GE India program. The strategic investment was announced in collaboration with Prime Minister Narendra Modi since it aligns with his 2047 vision of making the country a developed nation.
“India is rapidly becoming a leader in AI innovation, unlocking new opportunities across the country. The investments in infrastructure and skilling people we are announcing today reaffirm our commitment to making India AI-first and will help ensure people and organizations across the country benefit broadly,” Satya Nadella, chairman and CEO of Microsoft, noted.
Microsoft has already made an entry into the Indian market, whereby the company has been working on a copilot program in the last 12 months to make AI a reality in the country. According to Puneet Chandok, the president at Microsoft India and South Asia, the use of AI technology has gradually been transferred from the boardrooms to classrooms and communities to unlock more possibilities.
Impact of Microsoft AI Venture Into the Crypto Industry
Microsoft has been active in the cryptocurrency and blockchain industry for years despite the recent decision by shareholders not to include Bitcoin in its balance sheet. For instance, the tech giant led a $20 million investment round in Space and Time, a web3 startup focused on decentralized data warehousing.
Additionally, Microsoft has in the past partnered with the Aptos (APT) network to explore the development of AI and blockchain integrations. Previously, Microsoft had launched the Azure blockchain, before continuing the services. Over the years, Microsoft has been accepting Bitcoin as a means of payment through BitPay to allow users to purchase digital goods.
The development of the AI industry in the Indian market by Microsoft will play a crucial role in the AI-crypto sector over the next few years. As of this writing, the AI-crypto projects had a total market cap of about $53 billion and a 24-hour average traded volume of around $5 billion.
The AI agents’ market cap, on the other hand, has seen meteoric growth to a valuation of about $16.9 billion and a 24-hour average traded volume of around $2.6 billion.
Ultimately, Microsoft will be a major player in the AI-crypto industry as India moves in the direction of mainstream adoption of web3 technology and digital assets.
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