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Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella’s plans for the ambitious Digital India programme include an experimental technology pilot in Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s constituency of Varanasi.The software giant has chosen the pilgrim town in Uttar Pradesh as the venue for a project to fund local entrepreneurs aiming to build devices that can overcome India’s bandwidth crunch, according to Mr. Nadella.

Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella today said Jharkhand would be in its mission to empower citizens through technology. “The mission of Microsoft is to empower the citizens through technology and Jharkhand would certainly be in its priority given its unique potential,” an official release was made available today quoting Nadella’s Boardroom discussion in Mumbai. State’s Information Technology Secretary Sunil Kumar Burnwal represented the state.

Redmond-based technology major Microsoft’s Indian-born chief executive Satya Nadella on Thursday showcased company apps on his personal Microsoft Lumia 950 XL to emphasise productivity enhancement via his company tools and services.The chief executive, who is on a one-day visit to India to meet chief executives of other companies and key policymakers, while delivering his keynote address at ‘Microsoft’s Future Unleashed’ event in Mumbai being held on the ocassion of the company’s 25th anniversary, praised the energy, enthusiasm of Indians.

The government is ready to work with Microsoft and other information and communication technology (ICT) firms to take India to the next level in digital revolution, Telecommunications Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad said.

Microsoft has launched an initiative to help local startups working on solutions for smart cities, for which it will provide $120,000 worth of Azure credits, CEO Satya Nadella announced at the American technology company’s ‘Future Unleashed’ event in Mumbai. “We will work together with startups, each will provide the building blocks of the solution and we will provide the cloud framework. It helps in the process that governments see us as providing the glue. So we help startups access a large market where we have relationships,” said, Ravi Narayan, Director at Microsoft Ventures

“We will bring the Surface Pro 4 and the Lumia 950 to India in January and December, respectively,” Chief Executive Satya Nadella announced. He added, “At Microsoft, we strive to empower every citizen and every business and government organisation to achieve more. With the newly launched Microsoft Cloud and with Surface Pro 4, our customers have the digital technology they need to seize incredible new growth and opportunity on a global scale.”

Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis on Thursday said that he was looking to build 50 smart villages starting with Arinsal by the end of 2016. ”We are not only looking at building smart cities but smart villages. Our first such project is the Arinsal village where Microsoft will help us. We are looking to build 50 smart villages by the end of 2016,” Fadnavis told Microsoft India chairman Bhaskar Pramanik.

At its first of its kind technology conference, Microsoft announced a string of partnerships, programmes and products claimed to help Indian organisations and governments to explore unchartered business areas and enrich customer and citizen experiences. The tech giant, announced partnerships with three e-commerce players – Justdial, Paytm and Snapdeal – and launched a special cloud initiative for start-ups aligned to smart cities. Justifying the partnerships, Bhaskar Pramanik, chairman, Microsoft India, said: “Cloud and mobile technologies are already galvanising Indian industry. We will demonstrate that technology in the hands of brilliant people can create magic.”