IT major Microsoft will invest Rs 100 crore (Rs 1 billion) in India in the next few years, of which a substantial amount would be in Kerala, a top company executive said on Saturday.

Unveiling the company's future plans at the Global Investor Meet in Kochi, Microsoft's director of India operations, Shashi Kumar, said the company would collaborate with the state government in the educational project 'Shiksha.'

It would also set up a world class IT academy in the state to promote a favourable IT experience among the parent, teacher and the student, he said.

"We expect this will speed up the IT movement in Kerala and hope this would make a great referral institute for other states," he said.

Microsoft has its presence in seven cities in the country now, he said, adding they were earlier partnering with the state governments for e-governance and now they have decided to make a significant presence.

The US-based Sutherland Technologies, a leading design and implementation company, has committed an investment of Rs 55 crore (Rs 550 million) in the next couple of years in Kerala and employ 1,500 persons, Bhaskar Das, CEO of the company, said.

Kochi will be the centre of the leadership excellence for business process outsourcing  and HRD for all the operations across the globe for the Sutherland group, he said.

Transworks, a leading BPO company, has signed an expression of interest to set up a call centre at Kochi. In addition, GE Capital has evinced interest in setting up its call centre.