Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella to visit Hyderabad, address budding entrepreneurs

Hyderabad: Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella will visit T-Hub, billed as India`s largest technology incubator, during his visit to Hyderabad later this month.

Jayesh Ranjan, secretary for information technology in the Telangana government, told IANS on Wednesday that Nadella will be taken around the facility located at the International Institute of Information Technology (IIIT), Hyderabad.

He is also likely to address budding entrepreneurs as the government has already requested him to be a mentor of T-Hub.

Nadella will be in his home town of Hyderabad for 3-4 days. He will visit T-Hub and meet state government officials on December 28 (rpt December 28).

Built at a cost of Rs.40 crore, the facility was launched last month to create the much-needed ecosystem for startups, providing them technology and business mentorship.

More than 130 startups have set up their operations at T-Hub, created by the state government in collaboration with IIIT-Hyderabad, Indian School of Business (ISB) and NALSAR University of Law.

The 70,000 square feet uniquely designed and fully automated facility has brought together startups, incubators, mentors, venture capitalists, angel investors, legal and accounting firms and other players.

The Microsoft CEO`s visit is expected to give a big boost to the government`s efforts to make Hyderabad the startup capital of India.

The government is seeking collaboration with technology giants for strengthening the facility and for developing the second phase on a much larger scale.

The state government has already announced Rs.10 crore for the Rs.100-crore innovation fund of T-Hub and it expects Rs.90 crore from private players. It has plans to scale this fund to Rs.600 crore.

The Telangana government is also likely to discuss with Nadella the plans Microsoft has to expand its operations in Hyderabad.

Jayesh Ranjan will hold preparatory discussions with officials of Microsoft`s India Development Centre here this week.

This will be Nadella`s second visit to Hyderabad after taking over as the head of the global software giant last year.

The 47-year-old, during his first visit in September last year, had met Telangana Chief Minister K. Chandrasekhar Rao.

Telangana`s Information Technology Minister K. Tarakarama Rao had also called on Nadella during the former`s visit to the United States in May this year.

Microsoft has its India Development Centre here since 1998. It is the largest facility of Microsoft outside its headquarters in Redmond, US.