Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella to Visit India

Indian-American Microsoft CEO is expected to visit India on February 24, and will likely visit Mumbai, Bengaluru, and New Delhi.

FREMONT, CA: Satya Nadella, Microsoft Corp Chief Executive Officer (CEO) is expected to visit India on February 24, around the same time U.S. President Donald Trump will be visiting India.

His visit comes barely a month after he had voiced his opinion on the new citizenship law (CAA). Nadella, who hails from Hyderabad and became the Microsoft CEO in 2014, said last month whatever was happening in India on this new legislation was just bad. Talking to editors in New York in January, Nadella said he would like immigrants to come and set up startups in India. He also mentioned that he think what is happening is sad, and bad.

I would love to see a Bangladeshi immigrant who comes to India and creates the next unicorn in India or becomes the next CEO of Infosys," tweeted Ben Smith, editor-in-chief of buzzfeednews.com, who asked Microsoft CEO about the CAA at the meeting.

Later, Microsoft India issued a statement on behalf of Nadella. "Every country will and should define its borders, protect national security and set immigration policy accordingly. In democracies, that is something that the people and their governments will debate and define within those bounds," said the India-born CEO.

"I am shaped by my Indian heritage, growing up in a multicultural India and my immigrant experience in the US. My hope is for an India where an immigrant can aspire to set up a prosperous startup or lead a multinational corporation, benefitting Indian society and the economy at large," Nadella said.

As per one of the sources, Microsoft is trying to arrange for Nadella to meet Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi. A visit by Nadella would be in the midst of the government taking a tougher stance against foreign technology companies competing in the domestic market by drafting laws aimed at more tightly-controlled cross-border data flows. Nadella is also planning to visit Bangalore, New Delhi, and Mumbai.