Microsoft to Invest $3 Bln to Expand AI, Cloud Capacity in India

26 March 2021, Bavaria, Munich: The Microsoft logo hangs on the facade of an office building in Parkstadt Schwabing in the north of the Bavarian capital. (dpa)
26 March 2021, Bavaria, Munich: The Microsoft logo hangs on the facade of an office building in Parkstadt Schwabing in the north of the Bavarian capital. (dpa)
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Microsoft to Invest $3 Bln to Expand AI, Cloud Capacity in India

26 March 2021, Bavaria, Munich: The Microsoft logo hangs on the facade of an office building in Parkstadt Schwabing in the north of the Bavarian capital. (dpa)
26 March 2021, Bavaria, Munich: The Microsoft logo hangs on the facade of an office building in Parkstadt Schwabing in the north of the Bavarian capital. (dpa)

Microsoft will invest about $3 billion to expand capacity for artificial intelligence and its Azure cloud-computing services in India, CEO Satya Nadella said on Tuesday.

The tech giant is the latest to pledge investment in India, a country seen as a key growth market for US technology companies thanks to its population of more than 1.4 billion people and low-cost internet access.

Executives ranging from Nvidia chief Jensen Huang to Meta's chief AI scientist Yann LeCun have visited India in recent months.

The $3 billion investment in India would be the "single largest expansion" done in the country, Nadella said at a conference in the southern Indian city of Bengaluru.

Microsoft will also train 10 million people in AI in India by 2030, Nadella said.

When Nadella visited India early last year, he announced the company will provide 2 million people in the country with AI skilling opportunities by 2025, focused on training individuals in smaller cities as well as rural areas.

Nadella met Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday, and the pair discussed "tech, innovation and AI" and "Microsoft's ambitious expansion and investment plans in India."

Microsoft has been pouring billions of dollars into expanding capacity across the globe to boost AI infrastructure and its data-center network.

The company last week unveiled plans to invest about $80 billion in fiscal 2025.

The investment, more than half of which will be in the United States, will focus on developing data centers to train AI models and deploy AI and cloud-based applications.



SAMA, Google Sign Agreement to Launch Google Pay in Saudi Arabia

SAMA, Google Sign Agreement to Launch Google Pay in Saudi Arabia
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SAMA, Google Sign Agreement to Launch Google Pay in Saudi Arabia

SAMA, Google Sign Agreement to Launch Google Pay in Saudi Arabia

The Saudi Central Bank (SAMA) and Google have signed an agreement to introduce Google Pay in Saudi Arabia during 2025 through the national payment system mada, according to a press release from SAMA.
This agreement aligns with SAMA’s ongoing efforts to enhance the Kingdom’s digital payments ecosystem as part of Saudi Vision 2030.

According to SPA, it underscores SAMA’s commitment to developing a robust digital payments infrastructure, facilitating the transition to a less cash-dependent society by offering advanced digital payment solutions that meet international standards.
Google Pay will provide users with an advanced and secure method for making purchases in stores, apps, and on the web. Users will also be able to conveniently add and manage their cards within Google Wallet.
This initiative is part of a broader series of solutions aimed at meeting market demands and strengthening Saudi Arabia’s position as a global leader in FinTech.