Data and AI company Databricks has unveiled plans to invest more than $250m (Rs21.36bn) in India over the next three years to enhance data and AI capabilities.

The planned investment will support initiatives across training, research and development (R&D) and go-to-market operations.

As part of this initiative, Databricks plans to grow its India-based workforce by more than 50% to more than 750 employees by the end of the current fiscal year.

Databricks has also launched the India Data + AI Academy, an initiative aimed at enhancing the data and AI skills of the Indian workforce.

The academy intends to train 500,000 partners and customers across the country over the next three years.

It will offer a structured programme in data, analytics and AI, delivered through self-paced learning, AI-supported tutors and practical labs.

Participants will receive Databricks certifications and accreditations upon completion.

Databricks Learning & Enablement vice-president Rochana Golani said: “The India Data + AI Academy will equip professionals with critical skills in data and AI, ensuring they stay ahead in the AI-driven economy.

“Through personalised learning paths and AI-driven skilling initiatives, we aim to shape the workforce of tomorrow and strengthen India’s leadership in data and AI expertise.”

Furthermore, Databricks has opened a new R&D office in Bengaluru, Karnataka.

Located in Bagmane Capital Park, the 105,000ft² facility is intended to support innovation, collaboration and engagement with local customers and partners.

Databricks engineering senior vice-president Vinod Marur said: “Our investment in R&D in India, and particularly in Bengaluru, reflects our belief in the extraordinary technical talent found here.

“This year, we plan to hire an additional 100+ R&D engineers to strengthen our capabilities and deepen our roots in this vibrant technology community.”

The Bengaluru centre is set to be integrated into Databricks’ global R&D network, which includes offices in Amsterdam, Netherlands; Belgrade, Serbia; Berlin, Germany; and San Francisco, Mountain View and Seattle in the US.

Databricks Asia-Pacific & Japan senior vice-president & general manager Ed Lenta said: “India is one of our key growth markets for Databricks, and we are pleased that many leading organisations, including CommerceIQ, Freshworks, HDFC Bank, Swiggy, TVS Motors and Zepto, are leveraging the Databricks Data Intelligence Platform to drive innovation and transformation for their businesses.

“I am excited that all our investments in India will ultimately enable our customers to become more successful in their data and AI journey.”

Last month, Anthropic partnered with Databricks to integrate its AI models, including the Claude 3.7 Sonnet model, into Databricks’ Data Intelligence Platform.

This collaboration aims to offer advanced AI capabilities to more than 10,000 companies, allowing them to build and deploy AI agents that reason.