Microsoft Satya Nadella is “very optimistic” in Asia, China and India

CEO Microsoft He says he is optimistic about Asia, especially China and India, as Microsoft plans to build more data centers around the world.

We’re very optimistic about what’s happening in Asia,” Microsoft Chairman and CEO Satya Nadella told CNBC’s Tanvir Gill in an interview Thursday, adding that Microsoft is investing in at least 11 regions.

“We are fully committed to all of these countries and to China as well. Today, we mainly work to support multinational companies operating in China and multinational companies outside of China.”

He also added that India has become a “massive growth market” after emerging from the pandemic.

“Microsoft’s presence in India used to be mostly about multinational companies doing business in India. But now, it’s completely changed,” he said.

“It’s the other way around where these companies that are innovating in India, whether it’s the big conglomerates or the new startups, are using [artificial intelligence] Cloud technology to be able to innovate and create services that are obviously popular in India and elsewhere.”

Microsoft previously told the Indian media Economic Times There is a huge demand for new cloud native application development in India.

as such US tech giants face mass layoffsNadella said he is optimistic about the job market there.

In October, Microsoft announced a round of layoffs affecting less than 1% of its employees. Meanwhile, Meta is laying off 11,000 workers, and Snap is laying off more than 1,000.

“The current job markets are much more flexible,” Nadella said, adding that most companies from energy companies to banks and retailers need software engineers.

He added that no industry is immune to macroeconomic issues. “So everyone should properly manage costs and demand,” he said.

“One of the great things about the US is the amount of capital that is being invested,” he said, adding that new industrial infrastructure such as manufacturing plants, power plants and battery plants are being built.

“I’m more focused on watching what’s happening in terms of new growth within the US. So I’m very, very optimistic about the US and the world.”

Nadella replaced billionaire Steve Ballmer as CEO of Microsoft in 2014. Prior to that, Nadella was Executive Vice President of Microsoft’s Cloud and Enterprise Group.

Microsoft shares were at $241.73 in after-hours trading. Shares are down 27.8% year-to-date.

– This is a developing story. . Please check back for updates