How Microsoft is reshaping the global market
18 February 14:55
Microsoft has announced its intention to invest $50 billion by the end of the decade in the development of artificial intelligence in countries of the so-called Global South.
This was reported byReuters, according to "Komersant Ukrainian".
The announcement was made at an international summit on AI in New Delhi, where executives from the largest AI companies met with a number of world leaders. For Microsoft, this is one of the largest geographical investment plans in the field of artificial intelligence.
What is meant by the “Global South”
The term “Global South” usually refers to developing countries, transition economies, or low-income countries, mainly in Africa, Latin America, South Asia, and Southeast Asia.
For tech giants, this is also:
- a growth market — with a young population and rapid digitalization;
- a lack of infrastructure, which can be compensated for by investments in cloud computing and AI;
- a political factor — the opportunity to gain a foothold before regulations tighten.
Why the focus on India
Back in 2025, Microsoft announced $17.5 billion in investments in AI in India. The country is considered one of the fastest-growing digital markets in the world, both in terms of the number of users and the volume of software development.
India also serves as a kind of “showcase” for the Global South strategy: successful cases there are easier to scale to other regions of Asia and Africa.
The world’s dependence on clouds and AI
Microsoft’s announcement came amid reminders of the vulnerability of global digital infrastructure. On the night of February 18, hundreds of thousands of users in different countries reported large-scale disruptions to Google, Amazon Web Services, and Cloudflare cloud services.
These incidents highlighted how economies, including those in developing countries, are becoming dependent on a few global technology platforms.
What this means in practice
Microsoft’s investments may include:
- the construction of data centers;
- the development of cloud infrastructure;
- training local personnel;
- integration of AI into government services, education, and business.
