Satya Nadella Joins 40+ Indian-Origin Tech Leaders at Seattle Ideas4India Forum

Microsoft Chairman and CEO Satya Nadella has praised the growing technology community in Seattle and its strengthening ties with India, saying he was pleased to see the relationship between the two innovation ecosystems deepen.

Nadella was the guest of honour at the inaugural Ideas4India: Indian American Tech CEOs Forum – Unlocking the Tech Dividend, organised by the Consulate General of India in Seattle under Consul General Prakash Gupta. The event was held as a follow-up to the India AI Impact Summit organised in New Delhi in February.

Nadella said he had watched Seattle’s technology community develop over nearly 35 years and was proud to see it build stronger links with India. He described artificial intelligence as a general-purpose technology, adding that its benefits would depend on its broad diffusion across countries, communities and sectors.

India’s Ambassador to the US Vinay Kwatra welcomed the participation of Indian-origin technology leaders and their interest in deepening the India-US technology partnership. He reiterated India’s commitment to an AI ecosystem based on inclusivity, openness, sovereignty, democratised access, safety and trust.

More than 40 Indian-origin CEOs and CTOs participated in the forum, representing sectors including AI, quantum computing, semiconductors, cloud infrastructure, aerospace and enterprise software. Participants included executives from Microsoft, Amazon, Boeing, OpenAI, Anthropic, Intel, Veeam Software and other technology companies. USB-C inventor Ajay Bhatt, formerly of Intel, also joined the discussions.

The executives exchanged ideas on AI infrastructure, data centres, semiconductor design and manufacturing, quantum research, talent development, aerospace and advanced manufacturing.

The forum also highlighted the growing two-way technology partnership, with several US companies maintaining substantial engineering and research operations in India. Microsoft has announced a USD 17.5 billion investment in India from 2026 to 2029, while Amazon plans investments totalling USD 48 billion between 2026 and 2030.

The gathering began with a minute’s silence in memory of Seattle technology leaders Samir Bodas and S. Somasegar, who recently passed away.