​​​​​​​NEW DELHI

Microsoft will invest $17.5 billion in India, CEO Satya Nadella said Tuesday, after he met Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi in New Delhi.

“To support the country’s ambitions, Microsoft is committing US $17.5B—our largest investment ever in Asia—to help build the infrastructure, skills, and sovereign capabilities needed for India’s AI (artificial intelligence) first future,” Nadella wrote on US social media company X.

He thanked Modi “for an inspiring conversation on India’s AI opportunity.”

Modi said he had a “very productive discussion” with Nadella.

“When it comes to AI, the world is optimistic about India!” the prime minister wrote on the social media platform. “Happy to see India being the place where Microsoft will make its largest-ever investment in Asia.”

“The youth of India will harness this opportunity to innovate and leverage the power of AI for a better planet,” Modi added.

Google announced plans in October to build the first artificial intelligence (AI) hub in India, pledging an investment of around $15 billion over the next five years.