HYDERABAD: IT and Industries Minister KT Rama Rao on Monday announced that Microsoft would be investing Rs 15,000 crore over the next 15 years in Hyderabad to set up its largest Data Centre in the country.Calling it the second largest Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) in the IT sector after Amazon Web Services in the State, he said that Microsoft’s move will indirectly support growth of local businesses, job creation across the IT operations, facilities management, data and network security, network engineering and much more.
Making the announcement in the presence of Union Minister of State for IT Rajeev Chandrasekhar, Principal Secretary for ITE&C Jayesh Ranjan, Microsoft Executive vice-president Jean-Phillippe Courtois and Microsoft India president Anant Maheshwari, he also encouraged Microsoft to collaborate with the State government for implementation of ‘Mana Ooru Mana Badi’ programme as well as in the project to create ‘State’s digital health profile.’ He has pointed out how Microsoft and the government were already working in key sectors like health, education, agriculture and transportation, and have already entered into a memorandum of understanding to reinforce government’s capabilities for delivering citizens’ services, which was in-line with the state’s 2nd ICT Policy.
“In furtherance of Microsoft’s long and mutually beneficial relationship with Telangana, and with our commitment to establish the State as a hub for data centre, they have approached the State government for establishing the Data Centre Region in Hyderabad,” he said.He reminded that the India Development Centre of Microsoft at Gachibowli in 2018 was its largest campus outside the US and noted that the number of employees at Microsoft’s three campuses in Hyderabad has gone up from 3,000 in 2014 to 9,000.He also disclosed that Microsoft has contributed $1 million during the pandemic for Covid relief and other activities as part of its corporate social responsibility.