Microsoft [Not] To Establish University in Bangalore, India

• By Paul McCloskey
• 07/24/07

[Editor's note: This story is being maintained for archival purposes. Microsoft, through its public relations firm, issued the following statement, denying that it is setting up a university in Bangalore: "Microsoft has no plans of setting up a university in Bangalore or in  India. It is not our area of expertise.  However, as reiterated by all  our initiatives in India and elsewhere, we are committed to the cause of  education and higher learning in IT. We are also sensitive to the need  of the Indian industry and the governments initiatives to bridge the  talent gap that it is currently facing. We are and we will continue to  collaborate with the government, academia and the industry to address  the issue." --Dave Nagel]

Microsoft Corp. will set up a university in Bangalore, India, to provide high-end computer education, according to the Times of India newspaper, which called the deal the first Indian university run by a multinational company.

The university would offer a range of high-end computing courses in order to help fill the pipeline of tech talent demand in the country. At first, the university could train about 1,000 students.

The deal is apparently still in play. A source told the Times that the Karnataka state government is awaiting a formal request and proposal from Microsoft with details on the project.

Last year, India produced only 26 Ph.D.s in computer science, versus 1,007 in United States and 2,000 in China. "The irony is, 275 of the 1,007 PhDs produced by [United States] are Indians," said the source. "That shows an increased need for computer education in India."

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