Cognizant, Microsoft and Intel CEOs meet PM Modi on a trot; promise investments in India

NEW DELHI: To boost AI adoption in India, the chiefs of key IT giants met Prime Minister Narendra Modi in separate meetings on Tuesday.

Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella, Cognizant CEO Ravi Kumar, Chairman & Managing Director S Rajesh Varrier, and Intel Corporation CEO Lip-Bu Tan met with the Prime Minister to discuss accelerating AI adoption in India.

In a social media post on X, Satya Nadella announced a USD 17.5 billion investment in AI in India, calling it the “largest investment ever” in Asia.

“To support the country’s ambitions, Microsoft is committing US$17.5B–our largest investment ever in Asia–to help build the infrastructure, skills, and sovereign capabilities needed for India’s AI first future,” he said in a post.

Further, Lip-Bu Tan, CEO of Intel Corporation, also shared a photo with PM Modi on X, saying, “We had a wide-ranging discussion on a variety of topics related to technology, computing and the tremendous potential for India. I applaud the Prime Minister for putting in place a comprehensive semiconductor design and manufacturing policy and Intel is committed to support the India Semiconductor Mission.”

Intel chief signalled a strong commitment to deepening its investments in India’s semiconductor ecosystem.

Further, in a separate release, Intel also announced MoU with Tata Group.

“Intel signed a MoU with the Tata Group, which enables manufacturing, assembly, and packaging of Intel-designed products at Tata Electronics’ upcoming Fab and OSAT facilities, along with collaboration on advanced semiconductor packaging in India,” the company said in a statement.

“Through this partnership, in which Tata will provide manufacturing and packaging capabilities, Intel will be able to localise key parts of its supply chain. This will help accelerate India’s goal of becoming a global semiconductor hub and support growing local demand. It is in line with PM’s vision of Make in India for the World,” it added.

“Intel is further exploring the rapid expansion of AI-PC solutions for India’s fast-growing market, reinforcing its plan to position India as a major base in its future technology strategy.”

Through its official handle on X, Cognizant said the company’s CEO and CMD met PM Modi for an inspiring conversation on accelerating AI adoption and advancing education and skill development to enhance AI capabilities and productivity.

“Our CEO also reaffirmed to the Prime Minister Cognizant’s continued commitment to India and apprised him of our plans to expand into emerging cities to promote equitable growth and talent development,” it said. (ANI)