Microsoft held a groundbreaking ceremony on Saturday for its planned India Development Centre (IDC) campus in Noida, Uttar Pradesh. The event was attended by Hon’ble Chief Minister of Uttar Pradesh, Shri Yogi Adityanath, who participated as the chief guest.
The proposed campus, situated on 15 acres, will feature a built-up area of 1.1 million square feet. It is intended to function as a center for research and development in areas including artificial intelligence, cloud computing, and security. This expansion aims to augment Microsoft IDC’s existing presence within India.
The establishment of the Noida campus is part of Microsoft’s ongoing efforts to enhance India’s capabilities in AI and to provide support for engineering talent and digital innovation within the country.
The IDC, which also maintains facilities in Hyderabad and Bengaluru, is Microsoft’s largest R&D center outside of its Redmond headquarters. The project aligns with the stated goal of advancing India as an “AI-first nation.”
Commenting on the occasion, Rajiv Kumar, Managing Director and President, Microsoft IDC, said:
The groundbreaking ceremony of our new Noida campus reflects Microsoft’s continued commitment to advancing responsible AI innovation that empowers all communities, businesses, and citizens. This proposed facility will attract top talent from India and the world and empower them to innovate across AI, cloud, and security, that will positively impact billions of lives across the planet. We deeply appreciate the support of the Government of Uttar Pradesh and Noida Authority in making this vision a reality and are grateful to Hon’ble Chief Minister Shri Yogi Adityanath for gracing the occasion. With the proposed expansion, we look forward to accelerating digital transformation, fostering AI skilling opportunities, and strengthening our deep partnership with Uttar Pradesh, and helping India become an AI-first nation.