Microsoft's Emerging Tech Push Helps It Accelerate In India

Microsoft India is taking a big bet on emerging technologies such as machine learning and AI to radically change the way the company’s products and solutions are implemented in India

- Srikanth RP

From using machine learning to analyze school drop-out rates in Andhra Pradesh to developing a localized Skype app for the Indian market with Aadhaar integration, to using Artificial Intelligence to identify eye disorders, Microsoft India is taking a series of calculated bets across India, as it tries to use innovation as a lever to drive its growth. For example, take a sector like education, where innovative usage of technology, can be used to create a big impact. The company is applying machine learning to analyze school dropout rates, predict them and take preventive action in Andhra Pradesh. This solution has been taken to 10,000 government schools across Andhra Pradesh and has produced 600,000 predictions. It offers a 360-degree view of students, by mapping close to 100 variables. The machine learning model is being scaled further from 10,000 schools to cover 60,000 schools across all grades and could touch up to six million students in the next year. To address the issue of last mile connectivity, Microsoft has piloted last-mile access projects in Srikakulum in Andhra Pradesh, and Varanasi in Uttar Pradesh, using its cost-effective technology called TV White Space. It has also partnered with the Government of Maharashtra to create the first smart village in Harisal. Similarly, Andhra Pradesh’s CM, Chandrababu Naidu uses Kaizala, Microsoft’s chat-based productivity app, to interact directly with citizens. The app was successfully tested by the Government of Andhra Pradesh at a 12-day mega event involving 20 million people and the state now plans to replicate it across many departments to implement real-time governance across the state.