Microsoft India Development Centre (IDC), Microsoft’s maiden research and engineering development centre in India, has turned 25. Incidentally, it was the biggest campus for Microsoft after its Redmond campus.
The centre has not only played a key role in the Redmond (US)-based IT and tech major in the development of various global products, it also acted as a poster boy for the undivided Andhra Pradesh.
confidence booster
IDC has contributed to creating and advancing some of Microsoft’s most exciting offerings such as Azure, Windows, Office and Bing.
The State Government used it to promote the IT industry in the State. Set up at Gachibowli, which once thought out of the city, the MSIDC is now the centre of the universe for the Cyberabad’s IT industry. The Microsoft’s decision gave confidence to various other global IT and IT-enabled services to factor in Hyderabad in their development plans.
Legendary cricketer Kapil Dev was present at a celebration to mark the milestone occasion at IDC Hyderabad.
“It is now poised for the next leap of innovation and impact, by leveraging AI and Large Language Models (LLMs_ to enhance existing products, create new products, and transform how products are developed,” a senior Microsoft executive has said.
Key contributions of MSIDC
Microsoft 365 (Office) Mobile: The centre played a key role in developing and delivering Microsoft 365 (Office) mobile app, a suite of productivity apps for Android and iOS devices that has crossed over 100 million monthly active users worldwide and offers a seamless and secure experience across devices.
Indian language support: The centre helped develop support solutions for for 20 Indian languages on Microsoft Translator, promoting use of regional languages in the digital world. The technology was also used in developing Jugalbandi, the Generative AI chatbot, enabling easy access to information on Government services to millions of Indians in their local language.
Azure Specialized AI Supercomputer: The centre played a key role in building and managing the infrastructure and services for Azure, the Microsoft’s cloud computing platform. It has also been involved in creating the Azure Supercomputer, one of the world’s most powerful AI supercomputers.
“In the last 25 years, the India Development Center has made remarkable strides, from learning to build products remotely to deeply contributing across all of Microsoft’s products and services,” Rajiv Kumar, Managing Director, Microsoft IDC, said.
“As we enter the next phase of revolutionary technology of Generative AI, the next 25 years hold an even greater promise, with the potential to empower every person and every organization on the planet to achieve more,” he said, addressing a gathering of the employees.
