Microsoft inks partnership with Indian engineering firm L&T to develop a regulated sector cloud offering

Abhishek Baxi

Microsoft India has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Larsen & Toubro (L&T) to develop a regulated sector focused cloud offering. L&T is an Indian multinational engaged in engineering, procurement, and construction (EPC) projects as well as hi-tech manufacturing and services with operations in over 50 countries worldwide.

In line with emerging regulations, the two companies will co-engage with a defined set of large customers in regulated sectors to develop architectures and roadmaps to advance their digital transformation goals and modernize traditional datacenters to potentially hybrid cloud architecture. Microsoft and L&T will setup a joint governance group to define future platform designs, investments, and commercial/business models to service the regulated sectors’ emerging technology requirements, the press release said.

At the moment, the MoU will focus on engaging customers in the Indian jurisdiction, with the potential to extend this partnership to other jurisdictions in the future. The two companies will also consider a possible partnership structure at an appropriate time to continue the collaboration. Meanwhile, the senior leadership teams of both the organizations will be engaged collectively on this as the association evolves.

For a while now, Microsoft has been focusing on vertical clouds for specific industry sectors. The company aims that its experience with the public sector and this partnership will enable development of a scalable cloud infrastructure model for the regulated sectors to accelerate their digital innovation.