Microsoft’s latest India binge: Land worth Rs 519.72 crore in Pune

Tech giant Microsoft is poised to own land worth Rs 519.72 crore in the Hinjewadi area of Pune, which is widely known to be the IT hotspot of the city. The company’s subsidiary in the country, Microsoft Corporation (India) Private Limited, locked 66,414.5 square metres (more than 16 acres) of land in August this year, from seller Indo Global Infotech City LLP.

The transaction needed a stamp duty of Rs 31.18 crore and a registration fee of Rs 30,000. This is Microsoft’s third major real estate investment in India.

Earlier this year, the multinational company purchased 48 acres of property at a price of Rs 267 crore in Hyderabad. Before that, in 2022, the software giant bought 25 acres in Pimpri-Chinchwad for Rs 328 crore, according to a Square Yards report.

Currently, Microsoft has data centres in Mumbai, Chennai and Pune. The company has a staff count of more than 23,000 in its offices at Mumbai, Bengaluru, Pune, Chennai and Hyderabad, across a gamut of job profiles that includes research, development, customer support and sales.

In India, Microsoft has also launched a skilling initiatives this year titled ADVANTA(I)GE INDIA. The intent of the programme is to arm at least 2 million Indians with skill sets in artificial intelligence, or AI, and various other digital activities by the end of next year. The Skills For Jobs initiative of the company was introduced with the aim to prepare the nation’s workforce for a future where IT seems all set to be dominated by AI.