Microsoft will invest US$1.7 billion over the next four years in new cloud and AI infrastructure in Indonesia, as well as AI skilling opportunities for 840,000 people, and support for the nation’s growing developer community.
The amount represents the single largest investment in Microsoft’s 29-year history in the country.
Together, these initiatives will help achieve the Indonesian government’s Golden Indonesia 2045 Vision, which aims to transform the nation into a global economic powerhouse.
“This new generation of AI is reshaping how people live and work everywhere, including in Indonesia,” said Satya Nadella, chairman and CEO of Microsoft.
Nadella said the investments announced span digital infrastructure, skilling, and support for developers.
Dharma Simorangkir, president director of Microsoft Indonesia, said their investment sets a new milestone for Indonesia’s digital landscape.
“We aim to empower Indonesians with the infrastructure and skills needed for the AI era, aligning with our national vision for digital prowess,” he said. “It’s a crucial step towards making Indonesia a hub for digital talent and innovation.”
The digital infrastructure investment builds on Microsoft’s Berdayakan Indonesia (Empower Indonesia) initiative, announced in February 2021, to accelerate inclusive economic growth. This included plans to establish the company’s first datacenter region in the country.
Also, Microsoft announced a broader commitment to provide AI skilling opportunities for 2.5 million people in ASEAN member states by 2025.
This training and support will be delivered in partnership with governments, nonprofit and corporate organizations, and communities in Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines, Thailand, and Vietnam.
Microsoft’s skilling commitment is expected to benefit 840,000 people in Indonesia by providing students with technical and vocational education and training in AI skills, and women with opportunities and support to build careers in cybersecurity.
They also committed to provide young people with AI fluency training to enhance the employability and work readiness of those from underserved and underrepresented communities as well as employees of nonprofit organisations with knowledge of, and skills in, AI and digital technologies.
Nadella highlighted the critical role of developers in harnessing AI to fulfill Indonesia’s potential as a digital economy. Microsoft will continue to help foster the growth of the country’s developer community through new initiatives such as AI Odyssey, which is expected to help 10,000 Indonesian developers become AI subject matter experts by learning new skills and earning Microsoft credentials.
Over 3.1 million developers in Indonesia use GitHub, the Microsoft-owned software development, collaboration, and innovation platform.
This makes Indonesia home to the third-largest developer community on GitHub in the Asia-Pacific region, after India and China. It is projected to be one of the top five developer communities on GitHub globally by 2026.
