Date:13/11/2004 URL: http://www.thehindu.com/2004/11/13/stories/2004111303970400.htm

Andhra Pradesh

Microsoft CEO to open new campus at Manikonda

By P. Vikram Reddy

HYDERABAD, NOV. 12. Microsoft's Chief Executive Officer (CEO), Steve Ballmer, will inaugurate the software giant's new campus at Manikonda on November 15. The Chief Minister, Y.S. Rajasekhara Reddy, will also participate in the function.

The huge complex, on a Government-allotted site adjacent to the Indian School of Business (ISB), is the culmination of Microsoft's long-term plan to develop a India Development Centre (IDC) in the State capital and make it the second biggest of its development centres.

Bill Gate's plan

The plan was unveiled by Bill Gates, founder of Microsoft (and Chief Software Architect), during his visit to the company's facility in HITEC City, Madhapur, exactly two years ago. Mr. Gates had then announced that Microsoft would be investing Rs. 500 crores ($100 millions) in infrastructure as well as workforce -- which he projected at 500 by 2005.

During the historic visit, Mr. Gates had observed: "We see growing need to upgrade. We see nothing but upside." Indeed its investments reflect exactly the same. Between 1998 and 2002, it had invested $40 millions in the IDC initially started in HITEC City. The major investment of $100 millions announced by Mr. Gates was itself part of a larger $400 millions that he had committed on his arrival in India. The rest was in basic education, co-development with other companies, accelerating work on software languages in India.

Destination India

The MIDC has been playing a critical role in developing products and technologies for strategic areas like .NET platform, Windows and Enterprise Storage, and migration-related work. Microsoft has development centres in Redmond (U.S.) and in Israel, and it has been its major objective to make India, its biggest development centre outside of Redmond.

The facility at Manikonda is coming up on a 42-acre site, and the project itself is likely to be in several phases. The road leading from the Indian Institute of Information Technology to the proposed financial district in Manikonda is now dotted with several major IT companies. While Infosys has already opened its first phase of operations, Wipro's facility is also coming up there, in addition to the one that it already has in HITEC City.