Satya Nadella: Indians drive innovation

India-born CEO of Microsoft Satya Nadella on Monday said that developers and entrepreneurs from India are playing a key role in driving innovation — both in the country and outside — and the company wants to be the platform for creators here.

Mr Nadella, who was on a one-day trip to India on Monday, met Prime Minister Narendra Modi, communications and IT minister Ravi Shankar Prasad as well as student developers and entrepreneurs this morning.

“It’s so inspiring for me to come here to see this broad spectrum of student developers, entrepreneurs, artists and even some big brands, e-commerce companies who are all changing the landscape of India and thereby, the world,” Mr Nadella said while delivering keynote address at Microsoft’s ‘Tech For Good, Ideas for India’ event.

He added that it is a “privilege” to be “a platform underneath this Indian success”.

“Our mission is to empower every person and organisation on the planet to achieve more. It’s not about celebrating our technologies. It’s about celebrating technologies that you all in India create. In fact, I want us to be the platform creators that foster ingenuity of what is happening in India,” he said.

This is Mr Nadella’s third visit to India since he took over as Microsoft CEO in February 2014.

He quoted poet Mirza Ghalib’s famous lines, “Hazaaron khwahishen aisi ke har khwahish pe dam nikle, Bahut niklay mere armaan, lekin phir bhi kam nikle” and encouraged youngsters to be bold and ambitious. “I learn something new... there are so many layers there... My interpretation of that is... it’s not just your dreams being fulfilled, it is your ability to dream that is worth dying for. It is a source of inspiration,” he said.