Microsoft, Intel, Cognizant And Counting; PM Modi's Marathon Meetings With Tech Giants In One Day

Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s packed day of back-to-back engagements with global technology leaders on Wednesday underscored India’s escalating influence in the emerging world of artificial intelligence, semiconductors and cloud computing. The diplomatic sprint came as three of the world’s biggest tech companies — Microsoft, Intel and Cognizant — reaffirmed or expanded their commitments to India, even as Google announced one of its largest investments in the country to date.

The day began with Intel CEO Lip-Bu Tan calling on the Prime Minister in New Delhi, a meeting that added fresh momentum to a week dominated by big-ticket tech announcements. Tan later posted that he was “honored” to discuss India’s digital and manufacturing landscape, while praising the Centre’s semiconductor strategy. He reiterated Intel’s commitment to support the India Semiconductor Mission, at a time when global firms are seeking diversified supply chains. PM Modi echoed the sentiment, saying the company would find India’s young talent “a strong partner in building an innovation-driven future.”

Also Read: After Microsoft, Intel, Cognizant CEOs Meet PM Modi, Pledge On India's AI, Semiconductor Mission | Republic World

Soon after, Cognizant CEO Ravi Kumar S met the Prime Minister to discuss India’s AI roadmap and the rising need for faster enterprise adoption of next-generation technologies. Appreciating India’s push for AI-centric reforms in education and skilling, he said the company saw meaningful opportunities for long-term collaboration. PM Modi said Cognizant’s presence in India’s “futuristic sectors” would benefit from the country’s expanding AI-ready workforce.

These interactions came on the heels of Microsoft’s landmark USD 17.5 billion (₹1.5 lakh crore) investment plan, unveiled the previous day by CEO Satya Nadella. The commitment — Microsoft’s largest in Asia — will fund AI infrastructure, cloud capacity, sovereign digital systems and national-scale skilling programmes.

Adding to the investment-heavy week, Google had earlier announced a US$ 15 billion plan to build a 1-gigawatt AI-focused data centre campus in Visakhapatnam, calling it the company’s biggest AI hub outside the US.

With a succession of global tech giants lining up fresh commitments, industry observers say India’s ambition to position itself as an AI and semiconductor powerhouse is rapidly gaining international traction.