Satya Nadella quotes Ghalib verse in bid to encourage Indian entrepreneurs to be bold

Quoting a couplet of Mirza Ghalib, Microsoft's India-born CEO Satya Nadella on Monday asked entrepreneurs from India to be bold and offered the platform of the US-based technology giant for their ventures.

Nadella, who met Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Communications and IT Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad among others here on Monday, was on his third visit to India since taking over as head of the world's top technology company.

Quoting Ghalib's famous lines, Nadella said, "Hazaaron khwahishen aisi ke har khwahish pe dam nikle, Bahut niklay mere armaan, lekin phir bhi kam nikle".

Encouraging youngsters in the audience at an event here to be bold and ambitious, he said, "I learn something new (from these Ghalib lines)... There are so many layers in there... My interpretation of that is... It's not just your dreams being fulfilled, it is your ability to dream that is worth dying for. It is a source of inspiration."

Nadella said Microsoft's mission "is to empower every person and organisation on the planet to achieve more.

"It's not about celebrating our technologies. It's about celebrating technologies that you all in India create. In fact, I want us to be the platform creators that foster the ingenuity of what is happening in India."

In his meeting with Modi, Nadella discussed "various issues pertaining to the IT sector".

Earlier in the day, Nadella met Prasad and discussed how Microsoft's contribution to the government's Digital India initiative can be enhanced.