Microsoft launches data centres in India at cost of $200 million

Offers Microsoft Azure services; Office 365 services to be available from October

Microsoft India today launched commercial cloud services from local data centres in India. 

The company has invested around $200 million to set up three centres in Pune, Chennai and Mumbai. The Chennai Centre was inaugurated by Tamil Nadu Chief Minister J Jayalalithaa today.

Karan Bajwa, managing director, Microsoft India, who was in Chennai to be part of the inauguration, said that the company will offer Microsoft Azure services via local data centres in India.

“Governments, large businesses, small and medium businesses and citizens can use the massive computing power now available locally to fuel India's inclusive growth, spur innovation and accelerate digital transformation”, said the company.

In addition to the Microsoft Azure services launching today, Office 365 services will be available from October 2015. Dynamics CRM Online services will follow in the first half of 2016.

He added that in three years, 50% of Microsoft India's business will be based in the cloud. 

The current market share of Microsoft in the Indian public cloud market is 30%. Research firm Gartner estimates the FY15 cloud market at around $838 million. It says the sector is growing at 68-72%.