Microsoft will invest US$1.7 billion (S$2.31 billion) over the next four years into expanding cloud services and artificial intelligence infrastructure in Indonesia, chief executive Satya Nadella said.
“The investments – spanning digital infrastructure, skilling, and support for developers – will help Indonesia thrive in this new era," he added.
The company said digital infrastructure investment builds on Microsoft’s Berdayakan Indonesia (Empower Indonesia) initiative, announced in February 2021, to accelerate inclusive economic growth.
It is also Microsoft's single largest investment in its long venture history into Indonesia.
This included plans to establish the company’s first datacenter region in the country.
The company said this initiative will also allow Indonesia to capitalise on economic and productivity opportunities presented by the latest AI technology.
"We're going to lead this wave in terms of AI infrastructure that's needed," Nadella said.
Microsoft will train 2.5 million people in Southeast Asia in AI use by 2025, Nadella said, including 840,000 in Indonesia. It is actively collaborating with the Indonesian government, civil society, academics, and industry peers for AI adoption.
The tech giant is trying to expand its support for the development of AI globally with a similar investment in Japan and a US$1.5 billion investment in UAE-based AI firm G42.
