Archive · 11 Sep 2026
Goyal, Microsoft Discuss Data Centres and India AI Mission
Piyush Goyal is an Indian minister who met Microsoft’s India leader, Puneet Chandok.
They talked about building more data centres in India.
Data centres are large facilities that help computers store and process information.
They also discussed the India AI Mission, a government plan to grow artificial intelligence in the country.
Microsoft has announced a $17.5 billion investment in India between 2026 and 2029.
The company is also expanding its cloud regions in India.
The government says more than 38,000 GPUs are already available through the mission’s shared computing facility.
Goyal also met Uruguay’s foreign minister to discuss trade and investment between India and Uruguay.
Union Minister Piyush Goyal met Microsoft India and South Asia President Puneet Chandok in New Delhi on September 11.
The meeting focused on expanding data centre capacity and advancing the India AI Mission.
Microsoft plans to invest $17.5 billion in India from 2026 to 2029 in cloud, AI infrastructure, skills and operations.
Microsoft’s India South Central cloud region in Hyderabad became generally available in August, bringing its operational Indian cloud regions to four.
Goyal separately discussed India-Uruguay trade, investment and the India-MERCOSUR partnership with Uruguayan Foreign Minister Mario Lubetkin.
- Who
- Union Commerce and Industry Minister Piyush Goyal, Microsoft India and South Asia President Puneet Chandok, and separately Uruguay’s Foreign Minister Mario Lubetkin.
- What
- Goyal and Chandok discussed expanding data centre capacity and advancing the India AI Mission; Goyal and Lubetkin discussed bilateral trade, investment and the India-MERCOSUR partnership.
- When
- September 11, 2026; Microsoft’s investment plan covers 2026 to 2029.
- Where
- New Delhi, with related Microsoft infrastructure expansion in India, including Hyderabad.
- Why
- To strengthen India’s AI and cloud infrastructure, attract technology investment, and deepen India’s economic ties with Uruguay and MERCOSUR.
- Microsoft investment plan
- $17.5 billion in India from 2026 to 2029 for cloud and AI infrastructure, skilling initiatives and operations.
- Earlier Microsoft commitment
- An additional $3 billion commitment had been announced previously.
- India AI Mission outlay
- Rs 10,371.92 crore over five years, approved in March 2024.
- Shared AI computing
- More than 38,000 GPUs have been onboarded under the mission’s common compute facility.
- Planned GPU expansion
- The government has announced plans to add another 20,000 GPUs.
- Microsoft cloud regions
- Microsoft has four operational cloud regions in India after the India South Central region in Hyderabad became generally available.
- Additional diplomatic discussion
- Goyal and Mario Lubetkin discussed India-Uruguay trade, investment and the India-MERCOSUR partnership.