Telangana Chief Minister A. Revanth Reddy along with IT and Industries Minister D. Sridhar Babu at the inauguration of new building at Microsoft’s campus in Hyderabad on Thursday (February 13, 2025).
| Photo Credit: Screengrab
Telangana Chief Minister A. Revanth Reddy along with IT and Industries Minister D. Sridhar Babu on Thursday (February 13, 2025) inaugurated a 1.1 million sq. ft. new building at tech giant Microsoft’s campus in Hyderabad, that will house an additional 2,500 employees.
A LEED-certified facility, the building has been constructed as part of an expansion project implemented by Microsoft at what already was the firm’s largest research and development hub outside the U.S.
Inauguration of the new campus further consolidates Hyderabad’s position as the leading global IT powerhouse, the Chief Minister’s office said.
Microsoft’s 25 years in Hyderabad
Microsoft, which is celebrating 25 years in Hyderabad, employs over 20,000 professionals in India. Half of the headcount is working from Hyderabad. With the launch of the new building, Microsoft plans to hire another 4,800 employees, the CMO said. The expansion programme undertaken by Microsoft will generate thousands of high value job opportunities for the youth in Hyderabad, the Chief Minister said.
AI education to 50,000 students
Coinciding with opening of the new building, Microsoft announced that in partnership with the Telangana government it will impart AI (Artificial Intelligence) training to over 1.2 lakh persons in the State. Under the first program ADVANTA(I)GE TELANGANA, the firm is launching an AI Foundations Academy to introduce AI education to 500 government schools benefiting 50,000 students.
Additionally, its AI-Industry Pro program will upskill 20,000 industry professionals across Telangana. As part of the third programme, AI-Govern initiative, it will train 50,000 government officials in critical areas such as digital productivity, Generative AI, and cybersecurity.
Microsoft CoE at AI City
Microsoft will also establish and operate an AI centre of excellence (CoE) in collaboration with the government and other stakeholders, at the proposed Future City. This CoE will establish 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, the CMO said.
“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,” Mr. Reddy said.
Doubling of investments
Microsoft has announced doubling of its investments in hyperscale AI data centres in the State with an additional investment of ₹15,000 crore in the coming years. This will make Hyderabad region one of largest data hubs of Microsoft globally.
An MoU on the multiple initiatives was signed between the company and the IT Department in the presence of the Chief Minister. These initiatives are in line with the Chief Minister’s priority to make Hyderabad an AI Hub in the country and complement the proposed AI City and the State’s AI roadmap, the CMO said.
The Chief Minister said that the investment proposed by the firm on a number of initiatives, including AI, will strengthen “our startup ecosystem and provide mentorship, AI tools and access to a global network.”
The AI CoE that Microsoft will set up with the State government will develop cloud-based AI infrastructure, including an AI Knowledge Hub. The company’s commitment to innovation will definitely contribute to “our Telangana Rising vision. Together we will script a great success story,” Mr. Reddy said.
Mr. Sridhar Babu said “the new campus and the several AI related initiatives launched by Microsoft reflects their commitment to sustainability, inclusivity and innovation in the State.”
Microsoft India Development Centre managing director and president Rajiv Kumar said the new building at the Microsoft 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. We look forward to our partnership to accelerate digital transformation and AI skilling opportunities across the State.”
Published – February 13, 2025 01:55 pm IST
