Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella draws attention to AI-driven agriculture for “healthier, more sustainable harvests” amid $80 billion investment push – Microsoft (NASDAQ: MSFT )

Microsoft Corporation Microsoft Corporation CEO Satya Nadella showcased the company’s AI initiatives in Indian agriculture, highlighting broader AI technology development supported by plans to invest $80 billion in fiscal 2025.

what happened: During a visit to the Baramati Agricultural Development Trust in the Indian state of Maharashtra, Nadella observed how local farmers are using Microsoft’s artificial intelligence tools to optimize crop yields and address climate challenges.

The initiative, part of Microsoft’s “Farm of the Future” initiative, has shown promising early results, with sugar cane yields increasing by 30-40% and sucrose content increasing by 20%.

“It was great to meet the team at ADT Baramati today who are using our artificial intelligence tools to help farmers grow healthier, more sustainable harvests,” Nadella wrote on

The agricultural program leverages Microsoft’s Azure Agriculture Data Manager platform to combine data from weather stations, soil sensors and satellite imagery to provide farmers with actionable insights through a mobile app called Agripilot.ai.

why it’s important: This development is consistent with the Microsoft co-founder Bill Gates’s A vision of artificial intelligence in agriculture. Gates owns 275,000 acres of farmland in the United States and has been an advocate for the use of artificial intelligence in agricultural practices.

During a recent visit to India, Gates praised the country’s innovations in digital infrastructure and its application in agriculture, noting in particular how artificial intelligence and chatbots can provide personalized agricultural advice to its 7.5 million registered farmers.

Microsoft’s agricultural artificial intelligence plan comes as the company plans to invest about $80 billion in artificial intelligence data centers in fiscal 2025, with more than half allocated to the United States.

The investment reflects Microsoft’s aggressive expansion in artificial intelligence infrastructure, with the company reporting annual revenue of nearly $10 billion for its artificial intelligence business unit.

Read next:

Image from Shutterstock

Disclaimer: This content is generated in part with the help of artificial intelligence tools, and is reviewed and published by Benzinga editors.