Situated in Hyderabad, this will be Microsoft’s largest data centre in the country
Mumbai, NFAPost: Microsoft has announced that it will be setting up its fourth data centre in Hyderabad, Telangana. While the company did not disclose the investment or the exact size of the campus, Microsoft said that this will be one of the largest data centers in India and will be operational by 2025.
It was earlier reported that Microsoft has signed a definitive agreement with the State government of Telangana to set up a data centre with a total investment of Rs 15,000 crore.
This strategic investment is aligned with Microsoft’s commitment to help customers thrive in a cloud and AI-enabled digital economy and will become part of the world’s largest cloud infrastructure, said the company.
Microsoft started its data centre journey in India in 2015 and has data centers in Mumbai, Pune and Chennai. This data centre will also add to the growing demand for Microsoft’s cloud services from both the private enterprises as well as the government sector.
It will offer the entire Microsoft portfolio across the cloud, data solutions, artificial intelligence (AI), productivity tools, and customer relationship management (CRM) with advanced data security, for enterprises, start-ups, developers, education, and government institutions.
Microsoft India President Anant Maheshwari said the cloud opportunity in India is around $10 billion over the next 2-3 years and is growing 20% per annum.
“But more importantly the impact of data centre on job creation is immense. In India we have about 4.5 lakh Microsoft certified engineers and this centre will also amplify job creation,” said Microsoft India President Anant Maheshwari.
Customer demand for cloud as a platform for digital transformation, driving economic growth and societal progress across India, is increasing. According to IDC, Microsoft datacenter regions in India contributed $9.5 billion revenue to the economy between 2016 and 2020. Beyond GDP impact, the IDC report estimated 1.5 million jobs were added to the economy, including 169,000 new skilled IT jobs.
Union Minister of State for Skill Development & Entrepreneurship and Electronics & Information Technology Rajeev Chandrasekhar said today’s commitment to the people and businesses of India will position the country among the world’s digital leaders.
“A Microsoft datacenter region provides a competitive advantage to our digital economy and is a long-term investment in our country’s potential. The cloud is transforming every industry and sector. The investment in skilling will empower India’s workforce today and into the future,” said Union Minister of State for Skill Development & Entrepreneurship and Electronics & Information Technology Rajeev Chandrasekhar.
Telangana Minister Municipal Administration & Urban Development, Industries & Commerce, and Information Technology K T Rama Rao said he is extremely delighted that Microsoft chose Hyderabad as the destination for its largest datacenter investment in India.
“This will also be one of the largest foreign direct investments (FDIs) the state has attracted. Microsoft and Telangana have a long history, with Hyderabad hosting one of the largest Microsoft offices in the world, and I am happy to see the relationship grow,” said Telangana Minister Municipal Administration & Urban Development, Industries & Commerce, and Information Technology K T Rama Rao.
With the expansion of its cloud datacenter footprint in India, Microsoft is empowering and co-innovating with customers and partners. Microsoft’s customers in India, including Jio, Inmobi, Infosys, TCS, ICICI, Bajaj Finserv, Apollo Hospitals, Mahindra, Dr. Reddy’s Labs, Piramal, State Bank of India, Flipkart, Pidilite, and Amity, are already benefitting from Microsoft’s global scale cloud services and the new datacenter region in Hyderabad will play an important role in meeting India’s burgeoning cloud requirements.
As per the copany statement, Microsoft is committed to responsible and sustainable datacenter operations.
“This includes a commitment to have a 100% renewable energy supply equivalent to the electricity consumed by Microsoft datacenters by 2025. The new datacenter region will be built with sustainable design and operations in mind, enabling Microsoft to responsibly deliver reliable and highly available cloud services at scale,” states the company.
Telangana is emerging as a ‘challenger’ in the Indian IT sector for its software exports registering an increase by seven percent year-over-year to reach Rs. 5 trillion ($67.4 billion) in FY21.
In the city of Hyderabad and across the state of Telangana, Microsoft will enable opportunities for local businesses to innovate with Microsoft Cloud services. Microsoft is partnering closely with the government of Telangana to accelerate the adoption of cloud, AI, IoT and cybersecurity solutions for governance.
The company’s partnership with the state government includes efforts to upskill government officials in next generation technology, supporting young girls to build careers in cybersecurity through the CyberShikshaa program, and partnering on skilling programs like DigiSaksham with the Ministry of Labour and Employment to equip jobseekers from rural areas with technical skills.
