Microsoft IDC celebrates 25 years of technological innovation, excellence

HYDERABAD: The Microsoft India Development Centre (IDC), the maiden research and engineering development centre in India, turned 25 on Tuesday.

Microsoft India Development Centre has played a pivotal role in shaping world-class products, including Copilots and other AI applications. Legendary cricketer Kapil Dev was present at a celebration to mark the milestone occasion at IDC Hyderabad.  

IDC has contributed to creating and advancing some of Microsoft’s most exciting offerings such as Azure, Windows, Office and Bing. Through its work, it has played an integral role in advancing Microsoft's mission of empowering every person and every organization on the planet to achieve more. It is now poised for the next leap of innovation and impact, by leveraging AI and LLMs to enhance existing products, create new products, and transform how products are developed.

Some of IDC’s achievements in the past 25 years are

Microsoft 365 (Office) Mobile: IDC played a key role in developing and delivering Microsoft 365 (Office) mobile app, a suite of productivity apps for Android and iOS devices that has crossed over 100 million monthly active users worldwide and offers a seamless and secure experience across devices.  

Indian language support: IDC’s work enabled support for 20 Indian languages on Microsoft Translator, empowering linguistic diversity and breaking language barriers. The technology was also used in developing Jugalbandi, the Generative AI chatbot enabling easy access to information on Government services to millions of Indians in their local language.  

Azure Specialized AI Supercomputer: IDC has been a leader in building and managing the infrastructure and services for Azure, Microsoft's cloud computing platform. It has also been involved in creating the Azure Supercomputer, one of the world's most powerful AI supercomputers, which can run large-scale AI models and applications with record speed and efficiency.  

Making Windows accessible: As part of Microsoft's commitment to making technology more accessible and inclusive, IDC has developed and enhanced features such as voice access, narrator, magnifier, eye control, and dictation on Windows 11, which allow users to interact with their devices using natural and intuitive modalities.

Speaking on the occasion, Rajiv Kumar, Managing Director, Microsoft IDC, and CVP, Experiences + Devices India, said, “In the last 25 years, the India Development Center has made remarkable strides, from learning to build products remotely to deeply contributing across all of Microsoft's products and services. Today we are celebrating our achievements and the exceptional workplace culture, where the best minds come to work, innovate, and create global impact. As we enter the next phase of revolutionary technology of Generative AI, the next 25 years hold an even greater promise, with the potential to empower every person and every organization on the planet to achieve more”.

IDC is a thriving company that fosters a culture of collaboration, learning, and growth, allowing employees to be their creative best. It also engages with the local community and ecosystem, through various initiatives that support education, skilling and social good. IDC's goal is to provide ample opportunity to Indian talent where the next of generation engineers can impact 8 billion people on the planet