TLDR
- Microsoft is on pace to invest $50 billion in AI across the ‘Global South’ by the end of the decade.
- The announcement came at the AI Action Summit in New Delhi on Wednesday.
- The Global South covers developing and lower-income countries, mostly in the southern hemisphere.
- Microsoft committed $17.5 billion in AI investments in India last year.
- MSFT stock closed at $396.86, down 1.11%, on February 17.
Microsoft (MSFT) stock closed at $396.86 on February 17, down 1.11%, on the same day the company announced plans to invest $50 billion in AI infrastructure across the ‘Global South’ by the end of the decade.
The announcement was made at the AI Action Summit in New Delhi, where senior executives from major tech companies gathered alongside world leaders.
The ‘Global South’ broadly refers to developing, emerging, and lower-income countries, mostly in the southern hemisphere.
Microsoft said it is “on pace” to reach the $50 billion figure but stopped short of detailing how the funds will be split across specific countries or regions.
India Leads the Way
India has already been a major focus for Microsoft’s AI spending. The company committed $17.5 billion to AI investments there last year, one of its largest single-market pledges to date.
India’s rapidly expanding digital economy has made it a key target as Microsoft works to build out data center and AI capacity in emerging markets.
The choice of New Delhi as the summit location underlined how central India remains to Microsoft’s broader Global South strategy.
A Wider Global Push
The $50 billion Global South commitment runs alongside Microsoft’s wider global AI spending, which has reached into the hundreds of billions across multiple regions in recent years.
This announcement extends that strategy into markets that have historically seen less investment in advanced technology infrastructure.
No new country-specific deals were announced at the summit beyond the overall $50 billion target figure.
How MSFT Stock Moved
MSFT closed at $396.86 on February 17, down 1.11% on the day. Pre-market trading on February 18 pointed to a modest recovery, with shares up 0.68% to around $399.54 ahead of the opening bell.
Microsoft confirmed the Global South investment remains on track for delivery before the end of the decade, with the $17.5 billion India commitment from last year likely forming part of the wider total.
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