Microsoft is deepening its support for India through a new set of digital commitments tailored for the country.
Mike Yeh, Regional VP, Corporate External and Legal Affairs, Microsoft Asia, shared in a blog post that the commitments "set a new benchmark for responsible innovation and digital stability".
Microsoft announced an investment of US$3 B in cloud and AI infrastructure for India in January 2025, together with the goal of training 10 million people by 2030. In March, Microsoft held a groundbreaking ceremony for its proposed India Development Centre (IDC) campus in Noida.
The next chapter in a long-standing partnership will be about strengthening governance frameworks to ensure trust and resilience, Yeh said. New measures include:
Microsoft Public Sector and Critical Infrastructure Customer Council
To foster deeper collaboration with India’s public sector and critical infrastructure leaders, including those in healthcare, energy, and financial services, Microsoft has established a new Customer Council. This forum will enable dialogue around technology, policy, and contractual frameworks.
Puneet Chandok, President, Microsoft India & South Asia, will chair the council, reinforcing Microsoft’s commitment to co-creating solutions that contribute meaningfully to India’s nation-building efforts.
Updated review protocols and jurisdictional safeguards
Microsoft has updated its risk-based compliance framework, which includes validation checkpoints, escalation pathways, and cross-functional oversight to ensure services resiliency. This approach ensures that compliance actions are proportionate, context-sensitive, and legally robust.
Contractual transparency and customer assurance
Microsoft will use best efforts to inform customers of any foreign government orders mandating service suspension, advocate for withdrawal of any such order through legal channels and may seek injunctive relief to preserve service continuity.
"We also commit to collaborating in good faith with customers to maintain access to their data and minimise business disruption," Yeh said.
Cybersecurity and data privacy and migration
Strengthened privacy protocols aligned with India’s regulatory standards have been introduced. Microsoft will also partner with government and public sector entities to bolster national cyber resilience.
Source: Microsoft blog post. The blueprint was shared at the Microsoft Leaders Forum: India’s Digital Future in
the presence of Puneet Chandok, President, Microsoft India & South
Asia and key customers from government and critical infrastructure
sectors. The commitments build on decades of partnership and are the
direct result of sustained engagement with government stakeholders,
policymakers, and customers across India.
AI skilling and local innovation
Microsoft remains committed to equipping 10 million Indians with essential AI skills by 2030, Yeh said. "In FY25, Microsoft enabled AI skills for 5.6 million people and will deepen its commitment through focused programmes in partnership with the Ministry of Education, Ministry of Skill Development & Entrepreneurship, India AI Mission, Capacity Building Commission, and multiple state governments," he shared in the blog post.
The initiatives include:
- AI Micro-degree for vocational education
- AI Centers of Excellence (CoEs) for women in higher education
- Capacity building for civil servants and government officials
- Equipping startups, social enterprises, and developers through AI diffusion and access
"Ultimately, these efforts converge on a single principle: trust as the foundation for India’s AI-first future. By aligning with the country’s evolving governance priorities, Microsoft is focused on delivering secure, stable, and future-ready technologies that enable long-term growth and resilience," Yeh noted.
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