Hyderabad: In a significant development following Prime Minister Narendra Modi's recent state visit to the United States, three major American tech giants - Amazon, Google, and Microsoft - have announced substantial investments and technological cooperation to foster the growth of Indian technology. These commitments reflect the recognition of India's vibrant developer ecosystem and the country's potential as a global tech hub.
Leading the pack, Amazon has pledged to invest an additional $15 billion in India over the next seven years. This investment will bring the company's total investment in India, spanning all its businesses, to an impressive $26 billion. With a focus on supporting Indian start-ups, creating job opportunities, enabling exports, and promoting digitization, Amazon aims to digitize 10 million small businesses, facilitate $20 billion in exports, and generate 2 million jobs in India by 2025. Notably, Amazon India has already made significant progress, having digitized over 6.2 million small businesses, facilitated over $7 billion in exports, and created more than 1.3 million direct and indirect jobs.
Google has announced its intention to open a global fintech operation centre in Gujarat, underscoring its commitment to India's digitization efforts. Additionally, Google plans to invest $10 billion in India's digitization fund. The company aims to harness India's immense potential and contribute to the country's growth as a technology-driven nation.
Meanwhile, Microsoft's Chairman and CEO, Satya Nadella, held discussions with Prime Minister Modi about the transformative power of technology, particularly Artificial Intelligence (AI), in improving the lives of Indians. Recognizing India's vibrant developer and start-up ecosystems, Microsoft expressed its deep commitment to the growth of Indian technology, which will have an impact not only on India but also on markets worldwide. Last month, Microsoft launched Jugalbandi, a mobile AI-driven chatbot for government assistance in India. This chatbot, powered by AI4Bharat language models and Microsoft Azure OpenAI Service reasoning models, demonstrates Microsoft's commitment to leveraging advanced technologies to assist and empower Indian citizens.
The tech investments and cooperation extend beyond the three giants mentioned. During the "Hi-Tech handshake" mega event at the White House, PM Modi interacted with captains of industry from various fields, including semiconductors, manufacturing, space, and start-ups. Notable figures in attendance were Tim Cook from Apple, Revathi Advaithi (CEO of Flex), Sam Altman (CEO of OpenAI), Mark Douglas (President and CEO of FMC Corporation), Satya Nadella (CEO of Microsoft), and Sundar Pichai (CEO of Google). This gathering highlighted the immense potential for India-US tech cooperation, with President Biden urging CEOs to expand the partnership into new fields such as biotechnology and quantum technology.
Furthermore, the visit witnessed a significant announcement by Micron Technology and the India Semiconductor Mission, which declared their joint plan to establish a semiconductor assembly and test facility in Gujarat with an investment of $2.75 billion. This move reinforces India's aspirations to enhance its semiconductor manufacturing capabilities and boost its position in the global technology landscape.
In the space sector, India signed the Artemis Accords for space exploration, solidifying its commitment to collaborative efforts in the field. NASA and the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) are actively developing a strategic framework for human spaceflight cooperation, paving the way for future space exploration missions.
During his visit, PM Modi also met with Elon Musk, the chief of SpaceX, in New York. The details of their meeting were not disclosed, but it reflects the ongoing dialogue between Indian leaders and global innovators to explore opportunities for collaboration and advancement in space and technology.
