No slowdown in tech spending: MS India chief

PTI New Delhi: Microsoft does not see any slowdown in technology spends in India, the company's India and South Asia President, Puneet Chandok said, asserting that "a lot of momentum" is building up on AI with buzz around 'Copilot' and rise in number of use cases across industries in this market that the software maker counts as among its fastest-growing regions. In an interview to PTI, Chandok said the general perception around AI has shifted from skepticism to optimism, and now to real impact on the ground, with emergence of "real, interesting use cases".

Microsoft's AI assistant 'Copilot' has become a "verb" for artificial intelligence, he observed. The Redmond, Washington- based company is constantly looking at areas it needs to invest in, he said, describing India as among the fastest-growing regions globally for Microsoft and a "real opportunity to make a dent" with technology and innovation. Noting that technologies that change the world have to be built responsibly, Chandok emphasised that Microsoft is fully committed to ensuring compliance with all the regulatory requirements, and with new evolving frameworks. "Copilot has become the verb for AI. We are truly becoming 'Copilot' to India's transformation, which I'm really excited about," Chandok said. Microsoft is working towards its mission of making AI a reality for everyone in India. Microsoft is "much more than a technology business in India", Chandok said, adding, "we truly want to be a force that moves India and South Asia forward".

It is pertinent to mention that Microsoft Chairman and CEO Satya Nadella during his visit to the country in February this year had affirmed the company's commitment to supporting India's transformation into an AI-first n a - tion -- in terms of skilled AI workforce and AI infusion a c r o s s s e c tor s and industries. The Microsoft global honcho had announced that the company will provide 2 million people in India with AI skilling opportunities. "...the ADVANTA(I)GE INDIA program that we launched, where we're going to train 2 million people in India over the next two years on AI... that is on its way... the other one, (is where) 75,000 women developers in India will be trained and certified as part of Microsoft's 'Code Without Barriers' program, which is really exciting. We just launched the Microsoft Micro Degree in AI with the Ministry of Skill Development, as part of our commitment to enhancing digital skills across India," Chandok said. Chandok believes that India is among the most-exciting markets globally for all technology companies, and for Microsoft. "It is also one of the fastest-growing markets for Microsoft, one of the fastestgrowing regions across the world, and that is the reason you are seeing a lot of commitment, a lot of investments, and a lot of impact," he said.