Microsoft Chairman and CEO Satya Nadella highlighted the growing relationship between Seattle’s technology community and India while addressing more than 40 Indian-origin CEOs and CTOs from leading technology companies.
Nadella attended a special event organised by the Consulate General of India in Seattle, focused on technology innovation and opportunities to strengthen the India-US technology partnership.
Nadella was the guest of honour at the “Ideas4India: Indian American Tech CEOs Forum | Unlocking the Tech Dividend” held at the Indian Consulate in Seattle.
The event followed the India AI Impact Summit held in New Delhi in February and aimed to bring together the expertise of the Indian-American technology community in the Greater Seattle region.
Nadella said he was proud to have witnessed Seattle’s technology community develop over roughly three decades and welcomed its strengthening relationship with India.
Nadella described artificial intelligence as a general-purpose technology, saying its benefits would depend on its broad adoption across countries, communities and sectors.
The forum brought together technology leaders working across areas including:
- Artificial intelligence
- Quantum computing
- Semiconductors
- Cloud infrastructure
- Aerospace
- Enterprise software
Inventor Ajay Bhatt, formerly associated with Intel, also participated in the discussions.
India’s Ambassador to the US Vinay Kwatra welcomed the interest among Indian-origin technology leaders in further strengthening the India-US technology partnership.
He reaffirmed India’s commitment to an AI ecosystem based on inclusivity, openness, sovereignty, democratised access, safety and trust.
The discussions covered practical areas including AI infrastructure, data centres, semiconductor design and manufacturing, quantum research, talent development, aerospace and advanced manufacturing.
More than 40 Indian-origin CEOs and CTOs participated in the forum.
Representatives came from major technology companies and startups across the Pacific Northwest, including Microsoft, Amazon, Boeing, OpenAI, Anthropic, Intel, Veeam Software, Helion, Rhythms AI, Zenoti, Anicca Data and SeekOut.
The forum was described by the Indian Consulate as a first-of-its-kind gathering of Indian-American technology leaders in Seattle.
The forum is also expected to contribute to technology cooperation under the India-US TRUST Initiative — Transforming the Relationship Utilising Strategic Technology.
Under the initiative, India and the US are working to connect their innovation ecosystems and expand cooperation in areas including:
- AI
- Quantum technology
- Semiconductors
- Space
- Telecommunications
- Biotechnology
The discussions at the Seattle forum highlighted opportunities for collaboration in both research and commercial technology development.
The event also highlighted the two-way nature of the India-US technology relationship, with several American companies maintaining significant engineering, research and business operations in India.
According to the source, Microsoft has announced a USD 17.5 billion investment in India between 2026 and 2029, focused on cloud and AI infrastructure, skilling and operations.
Amazon has announced a total investment of USD 48 billion between 2026 and 2030, including expansion of AWS data-centre capacity in Mumbai and Hyderabad.
The Indian Consulate also said Costco is establishing its first Global Capability Centre in Hyderabad.
The forum began with a minute’s silence to honour two Indian-origin technology leaders from Seattle who recently passed away: Samir Bodas, Co-Founder and CEO of Icertis, and S. Somasegar, Managing Director of Madrona Venture Group and former Corporate Vice President at Microsoft.
They were remembered for their contributions to Seattle’s technology ecosystem and support for Indian-origin startups.
