Tech giant Google has announced a strategic collaboration with the Government of Telangana to set up an AI Accelerator in Hyderabad that aims to support AI Startups and accelerate the development of AI solutions. The announcement came on the heels of the inauguration of a new facility for Microsoft in the city, measuring about 11 lakh square feet by Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy. The tech giant would hire another 4,800 employees following the expansion. Microsoft also signed an MoU with the state government to invest an additional Rs 15,000 crore in the coming years and announced three new programmes to train more than 1.2 lakh people. This includes doubling its investments in hyper-scale AI data centers, running courses on AI for government schools, and imparting training to 20,000 industry professionals across the state.

According to a statement from the Chief Minister’s Office (CMO), Google’s AI Accelerator will develop AI solutions across sectors including agriculture, mobility, education, sustainability, and governance in the state. An MoU was signed between the tech giant and the state government at the T-Hub in the presence of Reddy and the IT and Industry Minister, D Sridhar Babu.

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At the inauguration of the new facility of Microsoft, the CM recalled the long association between the tech giant and Hyderabad. Congratulating Microsoft India for completing 25 years recently ,Reddy said, “The expansion of Microsoft will create more job opportunities for the youths of Hyderabad. I am very much delighted to inform you all that such a big facility will empower the youth further.”

Meanwhile, Microsoft will start an AI Center of Excellence in Hyderabad in partnership with the Telangana government. It will include an AI Knowledge Hub and cloud-based infrastructure for AI development. It will make research, case studies, and best research methods available to thousands of employees in the state. While AI-Industry Pro will impart skills to 20,000 industry professionals, AI-Govern initiative will train nearly 50,000 government officials in key areas such as AI, cybersecurity, and digital productivity. Microsoft will also start an AI Foundations Academy to introduce AI courses in 500 government schools benefitting about 50,000 students.

The Chief Minister is keen to make Hyderabad the AI Hub of the country and the collaborations with Google and Microsoft will go a long way to achieve his goals including the proposed AI City and state’s own AI roadmap.