JUNEASIA BUSINESS OUTLOOK9Microsoft and UAE-based AI firm G42 will invest $1 billion in a data center in Kenya as part of efforts to expand cloud-computing services in East Africa, the companies announced on Wednesday. The data center, which will be built by G42 and its partners, will be powered by geothermal energy and will provide access to Microsoft's Azure through a new cloud region for East Africa.Abu Dhabi-based G42, which recently received a $1.5 billion investment from Microsoft, has begun training an open-source large-language AI model in Swahili and English. The collaboration is part of a broader trend where major tech companies like Amazon, Microsoft, and Alphabet are investing heavily in new data centers globally to meet the rising demand for cloud and generative AI-related services.A letter of intent will be signed on Friday between Microsoft, G42, and Kenya's Ministry of Information, Communications, and the Digital Economy, coinciding with President William Ruto's state visit to the United States. Microsoft stated that the data center is expected to become operational within two years following the signing of definitive agreements. India is expected to be a power house for future airline growth driven by the eagerness of people to travel and growing population, according to a report. In a report, the Netherlands-based ING Bank NV said India is set to deliver strong structural growth figures, and airlines are preparing for this with historically large orders for new aircraft from carriers Indigo and Air India."The country plans to open a range of new airports, and strategically located countries - such as the UAE, with the world's second largest airport in terms of passenger traffic in Dubai - are anticipating strong transit passenger growth from Asia," it said.The report focusing on the outlook for the global aviation sector also noted that the long-term global growth outlook -- 20 years -- has generally been tempered in the post pandemic era to a range of 3-4 per cent annually instead of 5-6 percent, with Europe seeing the lowest growth figure.Domestic travelling within large countries was the area first to recover, with its average already hitting pre-pandemic levels last year. But differences across regions are prevalent, the report said and added that in the US and China, traffic figures started 2024 beyond pre-pandemic levels."Domestic travelling in India and China will continue to push global airline growth (more on this below). But more importantly, lagging international (and intercontinental) travelling is returning with more strength, and this will propel airline mileages in 2024," it added. MICROSOFT AND G42 TO EXPAND CLOUD COMPUTING INFRASTRUCTURE EAST AFRICAINDIA SHOWS PROMISE FOR GROWTH OF AIRLINES: ING BANKNEWSROOMJUNEASIA BUSINESS OUTLOOK9
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